


Grand Academy of the Republic

by KitFangirls



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Ahsoka Tano Needs a Hug, Ahsoka Tano-centric, Anakin Skywalker Needs a Hug, Anidala, F/M, Fluff, Human Disaster Anakin Skywalker, More characters to be added, More tags to be added, Protective Anakin Skywalker, SO MUCH FLUFF, i just didn’t feel like listening to canon, it isn’t a fix it though, mentioned child abuse, non-canon compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:34:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 31,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23684713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KitFangirls/pseuds/KitFangirls
Summary: With the war between the Seperatists and Republic continually raging, there are traitors within the senate. Ahsoka Tano is sent on an undercover mission to follow the daughter of a suspected traitor in the senate. Pretending to be a student at the Grand Academy of the Republic, Ahsoka tries to complete her mission without giving away her status as a Jedi. Her master, Anakin Skywalker, and his secret wife, Padmé Amidala, try to help her navigate through being an actual teenager.Of course, there are multiple train wrecks and a lot of disasters. But Ahsoka’s a Jedi. She’s fought wars and saved lives at only 16. This should be a piece of cake, right?
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Barriss Offee & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala & Ahsoka Tano, Padmé Amidala & Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 217
Kudos: 325





	1. Designer Clothes

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for checking this out! This fic came to me out of nowhere while I was listening to an audiobook, so I give you my newest trainwreck. I hope you like it! I tried to add as much fluff is I could. I mostly wrote this because I’m a nervous wreck after and before every Clone Wars episode is released.

“What does the council want us for this time?” Ahsoka grumbled as she and her master walked down the hall towards the council room. 

Anakin sighed. “I don’t know. I just hope it’s quick because I was having a really great nap.” 

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. Of course her master had been taking a nap when the council summoned them. During these ‘meditation leaves’ the council required, Ahsoka herself was extremely bored. It was nice to have a break from battle, but the novelty of it all wore off pretty quickly. She mostly found herself sleeping, going to classes, working on homework, and bothering Anakin. Anakin on the other hand had no classes to attend, so he spent his days tinkering and bothering Obi-Wan. 

“I’m hoping they need us back. It’s only been 8 rotations and I’m itching to do something,” the Togruta admitted.

Anakin chuckled a little bit before opening the door to the council room. Only a few members were there. Master Fisto, Master Yoda, and Ki-Adi-Mundi were present, and Master Windu sat in as a hologram. The master-padawan duo stepped into the center of the circle and faced Master Yoda. 

“Master Yoda, you asked for us?” Anakin said with a rare politeness. 

“Summoned you I have. An urgent mission for Padawan Tano, give you, we will,” Yoda said, resting his small staff on the floor. 

Ahsoka was surprised. She had hardly ever been sent on missions alone, much less during a ‘meditation leave.’ She turned to Anakin, who was crossing his arms. She could sense his jealousy through their bond and smirked. 

Master Yoda turned to Windu, who picked up where he left off. The Jedi Master uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. “We’ve received intel that Senator Farrow and her husband could possibly be working with the Separatists. We must treat this situation delicately, as they hold a lot of power in the Senate. Chancellor Palpatine has asked us to send in a padawan to spy on their daughter at the Grand Academy of the Republic. We’ve decided Ahsoka is the best for the job.” 

Ahsoka was a little confused, and wasn’t about to send herself into a mission with a bunch of teenagers before having the full story. “Why spy on their daughter? How would that help?”

“If you get close with her, you could possibly pick up information on the family. I agree that it might all be for nothing, but it’s worth a try.”

Ahsoka crossed her arms, still a little reluctant. “Okay. I’ll do it.” 

Windu smiled. “Thank you, Padawan Tano. You will come back to the temple everyday unless you have a reason not to, and report your findings to us. Skywalker will take you to and from the academy everyday. We will send you all the details on a data pad. You start in two rotations. Good luck.” 

The pair gave a quick bow before leaving. They exited the council chamber, and Ahsoka was quiet. 

“Snips, can you believe they put me on carpool duty? I’m not a single dad,” Anakin ranted. 

Ahsoka smiled. “Hey, you're not the one who has to pretend to be a rich, stuck up, politician to-be.”

Anakin was quiet for a moment. He could sense his padawan’s nervousness. “What are you worried about? It’s not like they’ll all be carrying around blasters.”

“It’s just, I’m not really good at being a teenager,” she shrugged. She crossed her arms and slowed her pace a little bit. “I’ve spent the last two years in battle, fighting a war. I’m not going to fit in.”

“Who cares?” Anakin said softly. “They’re all just stuck up rich kids. You’re a Jedi. You fight wars and save lives while they talk about designer clothes. Consider yourself lucky you won’t fit in. Just try to pretend like you do for a little bit.” 

Ahsoka looked up at him and smiled. “Thanks. Speaking of designer clothes, I’m pretty sure I can’t show up in this,” she said, gesturing to her usual maroon combat garb. 

Anakin snickered a bit. “Good thing that we have a senator friend who just happens to be a fashion icon.” 

Ahsoka was a little confused, and gave her master a puzzled look. Then she realized Anakin was talking about Senator Amidala. “Oh,” she said, drawing out the sound. Ahsoka pictured herself in long, flowy dresses and short, tight skirts with over priced sweaters and grimaced at the thought. “I’m starting to rethink accepting this mission.”

“Too late now! Come on, Padmé is expecting us.” Anakin chuckled, picking up his pace.

Ahsoka groaned. “Wait for me! I’ve got little legs!”

Anakin turned around and gave Ahsoka a goofy grin. She quickly realized her mistake. “Did you just admit that you’re short?” 

Ahsoka pursed her lips. “Nope. You're just tall. Give me a little bit and I can catch up.” 

“Your Montrals don’t count.”

Ahsoka jogged to catch up to her master. Once she got ahead of him, she turned around a little bit to face him. “They totally count!”

“Tell yourself whatever you want, Snips.”

***

“I hate it.” Ahsoka said shortly. 

Anakin almost fell off his chair from laughing so hard. Padmé gave him a stern look and slapped his shoulder. Anakin stared at her and rubbed his shoulder in mock defeat and pain. 

Padmé turned to face Ahsoka, who was wearing a flowy white dress. The dress fell to right above her knees, and the neckline was embroidered with small red flowers. It was simple, but cute and on-trend. “I like it. You look pretty in it.” 

Ahsoka sighed in defeat. “I just feel so stupid. Like, why did they put so much extra fabric? How are you supposed to get anything done? Where are the pockets?” 

“Snips, I don’t think they made the dress with battle in mind. You look good in it, it’s just weird to see you wearing something so… extra,” Anakin said cautiously while his wife stared him down. 

“Fine. Add it to the pile.” 

Ahsoka stared at the stack of dresses, tops, bottoms, and skirts. She frowned at them. “Is that enough?” She hoped it was enough. She wanted out of this stupid shopping center as quick as possible. 

Padmé glanced at the stack of clothes. “I guess so.”

Ahsoka sighed in relief, and rushed back into the dressing room. She quickly shed the stupid dress, and replaced it with her usual Jedi outfit. She placed the belt around her waist, and clipped her lightsabers to it. She opened the door and picked up the stack of clothes. 

“Don’t you think this is a little excessive,” Ahsoka grumbled, glancing at the bags of clothes that Padmé and Anakin were holding. 

Anakin laughed. “You wear the exact same thing everyday. I would leave the style stuff to the senator.” 

“Like you don’t wear the same thing everyday,” Ahsoka retorted. 

“Let’s just pay for the clothes and leave,” Padmé interrupted. The senator rolled her eyes. “Kriff, it’s a miracle you haven’t killed each other yet.” 

Ahsoka smiled. “Skyguy and I are the dream team.”

“Snips is right, you want a job done, you call us.”

Padmé smiled and set the stack of clothes on the counter for the cashier to ring up. The Twi’lek glanced at the two Jedi cautiously, and then the senator. Her gaze shifted to the lightsabers. She quickly checked the trio out, handing Ahsoka the dreaded bag full of clothes. 

Ahsoka reluctantly took it, and the three headed back out into the city. They walked down the busy street lined with different stores and boutiques. They received a few glances, and Ahsoka couldn’t help but laugh a little bit. They probably looked ridiculous. A tall, menacing looking Jedi with one gloved hand, a barely 16 year old Togruta, and a famous senator. Each of them were grasping a few shopping bags. 

Padmé broke the silence. “I remember when I went to the Grand Academy of the Republic,” she reminisced. 

Ahsoka turned her head in Padmé’s direction. It made sense, but she was surprised that she didn’t know this sooner. It would have certainly been helpful. Ahsoka hated going places where she didn’t know what to expect, which was ironic because she spent most of her time going places and doing things she could hardly plan for. Especially with Anakin as her master, it was almost impossible to ever feel comfortable. Sometimes she hated her job and position, but other times she loved it. It just depended on the day. 

“Really?”

Padmé smiled and nodded. “It was between the time I was queen and the time I became a senator. It’s a boarding school too, you know. It was fun. I made some friends, we snuck out sometimes. I learned my lessons, of course. Sometimes the other students were scared of me because I was ahead in diplomacy studies.” 

Ahsoka smiled. “I’m going to be calling you a lot for help.” 

“Whenever you need it,” Padmé responded. 

***

Ahsoka walked down the hallway of the temple with her Master. She was wearing a loose fitting white sweater tucked into a black skirt, and couldn’t help but pull at the sleeves. She felt awkward in it. She wore black boots to cover up part of her leg, but they felt exposed without her tights underneath them. The sweater hung off her in a way that made her skin tingle. She hated it. 

“Okay,” Anakin started. “You’re from where?”

“My parents were born on Kiros, but worked as negotiators for the banking clan. I’ve travelled around the galaxy for most of my life. This is my first time settling down and staying in one place for a while,” Ahsoka sighed, repeating the cover story Anakin had drilled into her head. 

“Good. Do you have everything? Your books? Comm? Are your lightsabers in the secret pocket of your bag?” Anakin rambled. 

“Kriff, Anakin. You sound like the carpool driver you swore you wouldn’t become.”

Anakin shot a glare at her as they hopped into a speeder. Ahsoka laughed a little bit. “Let’s go, you don’t want to be late for your first day,” Anakin grumbled.

The ride to the Academy was smooth. Anakin piloted the speeder while Ahsoka messed with the strap of her bag. She looked over her schedule again. The only two classes she was actually looking forward to were Advanced Self Defense and Politics of the Clone Wars. She knew she would be good at both.

Ahsoka looked up as they reached the gated campus. The togruta fumbled for the student ID she had been given and passed it to Anakin. He gave it to the security guard, who nodded and opened the gate. 

The campus was large and beautiful. Each building was made of glass and metal, looking grand and amazing. Students walked around the green grass, and luxury speeders dropped off students in a small circle with a fountain in the middle. There were so many different humanoid species it made Ahsoka’s head spin. Sure, she’d travelled through the galaxy and seen a lot, but never in one place. 

Anakin pulled into the circle, and Ahsoka messed with the handle for a moment before she was finally able to open the door. She had never actually used the speeder door, usually jumping into it after racing her master to see who could get there first. 

She awkwardly stepped onto the cobblestone path and grabbed her bag. She felt naked without her lightsabers clipped to her belt. 

“Have a good day at school!” Anakin chirped. 

Ahsoka scowled at him, and her master couldn’t help but laugh. “Comm me if anything suspicious happens. Remember, focus on the mission.”

“I will. What else is there to focus on? The newest fashion trends?” Ahsoka joked dryly. 

Anakin laughed. “Okay, see you later.” 

He drove off, and Ahsoka was standing there clutching her bag, schedule, and a map of the school. She glanced at the map and examined the buildings around her. She walked towards the largest one, weaving through groups of students. History of the Republic was her first class, and suddenly she realized how much she had taken her Jedi classes for granted. 

She walked through the door to the main building. Ahsoka Tano had a mission, and Ahsoka Tano never failed.


	2. First Day of School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka goes to school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! There isn’t a ton of fluff or anything in this chapter. I just needed to set the scene for future stuff, and introduce a few characters. Next chapter will be better! 
> 
> (Also I watched the new Clone Wars episode and ahhh. I’m a little bit upset but it’s okay.)

Ahsoka walked through the door and into her first class. There were 10 or 15 desks with holo screens attached, and a screen at the front of the room. The walls were white and undecorated, adorned with a window that opened up to a courtyard. Inside the classroom were 6 or 7 students. The boys were neatly dressed, and the girls were clothes similar to what Ahsoka was wearing. 

In her head, she thanked Padmé for the impromptu shopping trip. 

The students glanced at her, stopping their conversations for just a moment. Ahsoka’s knuckles went white from gripping the strap of her small bag so tight. She saw an older human woman at a large desk near the screen, and reluctantly went over to her. 

“Hi! I’m Ahsoka Tano, the new student,” Ahsoka said confidently. 

The teacher smiled at the togruta. “Ahsoka! Welcome to the Academy. You can take a seat over there in the back row, right next to Ameel.” 

Ahsoka’s heart skipped a beat. Ameel Farrow. That was her target. She turned around and saw the human girl chatting with a twi’lek one. Ameel was wearing a short dress, while the twi’lek wore black pants and a sweater. It was odd to see the tail-headed creature in something other than a traditional outfit, but this was a school for rich Coruscanti kids. She had probably never been to Ryloth in her life. 

Ahsoka made her way over to where Ameel was sitting and placed her bag on a chair. Ameel looked up at her, and met Ahsoka’s big blue eyes. 

“Hi! I’m Ahsoka. I’m new here. Mrs. We’tik told me this seat was empty.”

The girl smiled. “I’m Ameel! It’s nice to meet you,” she said with a thick upper-level Coruscanti accent. 

She sounded like Obi-Wan. Ahsoka wanted to start laughing about it. Suddenly, she started to wonder if everyone here drank tea and made sarcastic, witty remarks. 

Ahsoka snapped out of her short trance and quickly observed the girl. She was human, with long auburn hair. She had a few braids near the front of her hair pinned up. She looked pretty normal. Except, she was the person the padawan learner was supposed to be spying on for the foreseeable future. 

“Nice to meet you, too,” Ahsoka responded politely, trying to remember all her manners lessons from when she was with Obi-Wan. 

She used to always think the days she spent with her grand-master learning table manners and basic conversation would be useless. Anakin wasn’t polite, yet he was the one off on exciting missions while she stayed behind with the older Jedi. It always felt impractical. After all, she spent most of her days slicing down droids and chasing down criminals. Now the lessons came in handy. 

“This is Wanta,” Ameel said, gesturing to the twi’lek girl. The pastel blue teen smiled, and Ahsoka smiled back. “Where are you from?” 

Ahsoka’s cheekbones were starting to hurt from smiling so much. “Um, my parents were negotiators for the banking clan. To be honest, I’ve pretty much lived on a starship most of my life.”

Ameel and Wanta laughed a little bit, and Ahsoka awkwardly joined. She didn’t mean to make a joke. It also wasn’t really a lie either. For the past few years, Ahsoka spent most of her time on Jedi cruisers.

A few more students trickled into class. The teacher stood up in the front of the room, and mumbled about formal dances and school events that Ahsoka would hopefully not be around to attend. Finally, the teacher gestured to her. “We have a new student here. Would you like to introduce yourself?” 

Ahsoka smiled and stood up. She looked at the class, who all stared at her in a way that made her a little uncomfortable. “Um… I’m Ahsoka Tano. My parents are negotiators for the banking clan. This is my first time settling down in one place for a while.” Ahsoka said, stumbling over her words a little bit. “I’m excited to be here,” she lied. 

The teacher nodded and moved on to her lesson, which was extremely boring. It was like History of the Jedi Order, except worse. If that was even possible. Ahsoka let her eyes glaze over as she listened to the teacher drone on about the senate. Other students diligently took notes, but Ahsoka allowed herself to drift off a little bit. 

Class ended, and Ameel leaned over towards Ahsoka. “What class do you have after this?” She asked politely. 

“Um, Advanced Self Defense,” Ahsoka mumbled. She realized her mistake. She wasn’t on a cruiser or in the temple where no one could judge her. She was supposed to be acting like a diplomat. There wasn’t any mumbling in the senate. 

Even though Ahsoka let her guard down, Ameel hadn’t seen through it. “Me too! There’s only one other girl in that class. It will be nice to have someone else.” 

Ahsoka smiled, and the two got up and headed for the gym. They talked a little bit on the way there. Ameel asked about Ahsoka’s personal life much more than she would like, and she responded with vague answers. 

They quickly got changed into leggings and a loose fitting top that was the athletic uniform for the academy. She felt so much more comfortable in these, and wished it was appropriate to walk around the halls in this. 

She entered the athletic classroom, which looked similar to the sparring room at the temple. Mats were on the floor, and students sat on the floor around the teacher. Ahsoka hurried and found a spot next to Ameel. 

The teacher gave the students a quick lecture about fighting stances and weight shifting, things Ahsoka had learned ages ago. She zoned out her again, until Ameel tapped her shoulder. 

“Do you want to be my sparring partner?” The girl asked. 

Ahsoka smiled. The plan was going amazingly well. “Of course.” 

The two headed over to a mat, where the two squared up. Ameel nodded, and threw herself at Ahsoka. Ahsoka simply moved a step to the right, and the young diplomat fell onto the mat. 

Ameel was quiet for a moment, and Ahsoka worried she had gotten hurt. She hadn’t fallen too hard, but these types were fragile. Suddenly, Ameel burst into laughter. She rolled over onto her back, and Ahsoka reached out her hand to help her up. 

“I’m awful at this. It’s a miracle I’m in the advanced class,” Ameel chuckled. 

Ahsoka laughed with her. “That was pretty bad. Let’s try again.” 

The two continued to spar, Ahsoka dodging or pinning Ameel down every time. She refrained from any excessive movement, trying not to give away her status as a Jedi. Her skills did not go unnoticed, though. 

“Togruta, what’s your name?” The teacher barked. 

Everyone in the class turned to stare at Ahsoka. The teacher had a rough voice, and was probably around 40. He was well built, and apparently he coached a sport at the school. 

“Ahsoka. Ahsoka Tano.” 

The teacher looked her over. “Okay, Ms. Tano, why don’t you come up here for the class.” 

Ahsoka grimaced when he called her Ms.Tano. She hardly ever heard her last name, mostly going by Ahsoka, Commander, or Snips when her master was around. The only times she had ever heard Tano was when it was preceded by Commander or Padawan, two high statuses. She glared at the teacher subconsciously, her pride feeling a little bit hurt. 

Ahsoka stepped up to the sparring mat. 

The teacher faced the class. “Anyone want to go against Ahsoka?”

One boy snickered. “I could beat her. She’s just a girl.”

Ahsoka felt infuriated. She wasn’t just a girl, she was a Jedi. 

Her fists clenched and her knuckles turned white as the boy walked onto the sparring mat and got into a fighting stance across from her. She looked at his feet and almost laughed at how awful it was. She stared into his eyes, and he smirked at her. Then he lunged. 

Ahsoka quickly moved out of his way, expecting his attack moments before he acted. Unlike Ameel, he didn’t fall. He only stumbled and turned back around. Ahsoka decided to play the offensive, quickly sliding her feet to meet with his ankles. They moved from under him, and he fell and landed on the mat with a loud sound. He stared up at the girl, dazed and confused. 

Everyone in the class watched her with amazement and awe. She was a little confused at first. She had used a simple, cheap move to knock him off his feet. His stance was off, so she took her chance. She had used the move on her master before. It quickly disarmed him when he lost focus. 

“You have some background, don’t you? Where’d you learn how to fight like that,” the teacher asked, obviously surprised himself. 

Ahsoka took a second to come up with a plausible lie. “I’ve spent some time with Jedi. They taught me a few things,” she shrugged. 

Everyone gawked at her, and Ahsoka walked back to Ameel. She crossed her arms, ignoring everyone else’s stares. It was uncomfortable. A few years ago she would’ve loved and craved the attention. Now, it was different. War had changed her. 

Class was dismissed, and Ahsoka and Ameel walked back to the dressing rooms. The dressing rooms were just like everything else in this school. Over the top and excessive. The mirrors were lined with gold, and instead of metal cubbies they used in the temple, there were intricately carved wooden cases. Ahsoka retrieved her bag and quickly changed into her awful skirt and sweater. 

Ameel came out of a changing room (that was of course equipped with a full length golden mirror and vanity) and grabbed her books. “That was amazing Ahsoka. Deyto is the worst. Someone had to put him in his place.” 

Deyto- so that was the boy's name. He honestly reminded her a little bit of her master. Prideful and ready for a fight. Of course, this Deyto kid didn’t know how to fight, so it was a bad combination. 

Ahsoka shrugged a little bit. “It was nothing. Cheap move.” 

Ameel eyed her cautiously, and the Jedi felt a little uneasy. Sure, Ameel was nice, but that didn’t mean she didn’t know something. The teenage diplomat could be just as dangerous as Ahsoka was. 

“Come on, let’s go to lunch.”

***  
The lunch room was amazing. Ahsoka’s mouth watered at the smells. Different stalls handed out different foods, and it was like one of those festivals she had always wanted to see. Her eyes darted between the stands selling freshly roasted meat. 

Ahsoka’s stomach grumbled. She mainly lived off of military rations and bland temple food. Sure, her and Anakin had a kitchenette in their shared quarters, but both of them were too lazy to learn how to cook. They sometimes stole the food Master Kenobi cooked, or grabbed some grub from Dex’s, but this paled in comparison to those. 

Ameel walked over to get a salad, while Ahsoka rushed over to get a sandwich with the divine smelling meat. She didn’t even know what it was, but she prayed it smelled as good as she tasted. 

She followed Ameel over to a small table, where a few other boys and girls were sitting. She recognized Wanta from her first class, and slid into a chair next to Ameel. A few others glanced at the new girl sitting at their lunch table, and Ameel gestured to Ahsoka. “This is Ahsoka. She’s new here.”

Ahsoka gave a weak wave. “Hi!”

The others all responded. They seemed nice like Ameel was, but they were politicians. She had to keep that in mind throughout this mission. 

Ahsoka held the sandwich up to her mouth and took a bite. It tasted as good as she smelled. She took a moment and chewed, savoring each time the juices flowed into her mouth. 

_That sandwich must taste pretty good._

Ahsoka jumped a little bit. 

_Relax, it’s just me._

She did relax at the sound of her master’s voice in her head. She took another bite of her sandwich. 

“ _What do you want?_ ” she sent across the bond, a little annoyed that Anakin had crashed her meal. 

Anakin snickered. “ _Just checking up on my favorite padawan!_ ” 

“ _Go away, I’m trying to focus_ ,” Ahsoka responded. 

She felt Anakin’s presence disappear and thanked the force he wasn’t bothering her anymore. She did have to focus. 

She listened in on the conversations at her table, picking up that most of these kids were children of senators and important political figures. She could deal with that. She was friends with Senator Chuchi, and Padmé was obviously a close friend too. 

The others made basic conversation with Ahsoka, and one particular boy kept staring at her. She couldn’t tell if that was a good or bad thing. Finally, he spoke up. 

“Do I know you?” The human boy with dark hair and eyes asked. 

Ahsoka was a little confused, and then panicked. If this boy knew she was a Jedi, the whole mission was compromised. It would be for nothing. “Um, we might’ve met before. I’ve been to a lot of places,” she responded weakly. 

He examined her again. “My name’s Rylith.”

“Ahsoka.” 

“I know.” 

They stared at each other for a moment, and then lunch ended. 

The rest of the day continued without incident. Ahsoka couldn’t get the boy out of her head, though. Did she know him? Had they encountered each other before? Would he compromise the mission? She was panicked and dazed for the rest of the day. She barely even paid attention to the fact that she had every single class with Ameel (courtesy of the council). 

When the school day finally ended, she raced out the doors to the spot where Anakin was supposed to pick her up. There were dozens of speeders waiting to pick up students, most driven by what looked to be like butlers and bodyguards. Ahsoka closed her eyes for a minute, and sensed Anakin in the middle of the line. She raced over to his speeder, jumping over the edge and into the seat. 

“Woah, Snips, what was that! In a hurry to get somewhere?”

Ahsoka sighed. “I need to talk to the council. The mission might be compromised.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Come chat with me on tumblr @kitfangirls
> 
> Quick Note: I probably won’t be able to post until Monday. I might have something up tomorrow, but don’t count on it.


	3. Carpool Dad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update! On Sunday, I planned on writing a ton and catching up. I really just ended up sleeping for 18 hours so...

Ahsoka stood at the center of the circle, the Jedi all looking at her. Some had glazed-over eyes, which angered the padawan. Could they not bother to pay attention to her? She explained to them the problem, suddenly realizing how stupid she probably sounded. Something told her this was a real issue, though. 

“So your saying, a boy said he recognized you and you’re worried it might compromise the mission?” Master Windu said, summarizing Ahsoka’s previous tangents. 

Ahsoka took a deep breath in and glanced over to her master who was standing off to the side. He smiled at her. 

Ahsoka nodded. “Yes. I’m worried I might have encountered him at some point in the last few years. I’ve been to almost 70 systems, so I thought it might be best to be cautious.” 

Windu eyed her cautiously. “What was this boy’s name?”

Ahsoka sighed in relief. So they were at least going to look into her problem. “Rylith. I couldn’t get a last name.” 

Windu nodded and opened a holoscreen. He clicked a few things, until Ahsoka noticed he was looking through the student directory. Everyone in the council room stayed silent, watching either Ahsoka or Windu. Ahsoka shifted her weight uncomfortably. She hated when the council watched her, with judging eyes. 

Finally, Windu spoke. “Rylith Heduit. His father is an advisor for the king of Arkanis in the outer rim.”

Ahsoka bit her lip in thought, and glanced at her master. He nodded at her when they met eyes. Arkanis…

Suddenly, Ahsoka’s heart sank. “We’ve met.” Ahsoka finally had everyone’s attention and she continued speaking. “After the siege on Geonosis, we had some injured troops and desperately needed fuel. We stopped on Arkanis, which was a nearby Republic planet. The king and queen invited us to a banquet they were having that night. We went, and I ended up talking to Rylith. We know each other.” 

Yoda knitted his brow, and everyone stared at the two leaders of the Jedi council. 

“Decide what to do about this, we will. Dismissed, you are,” Yoda said. 

Ahsoka dipped into a quick bow, and turned to leave. Her master followed her. The two of them left the council room and stepped into the elevator to leave. Ahsoka leaned against the wall, brow furrowed in thought. Anakin mirrored her, except he just stared at his padawan. 

Finally, Anakin spoke. “Snips, I’m sure it will be fine. They’ll figure it out.”

“I don’t know, I’m just worried. What if I screwed up everything?” Ahsoka sighed. 

“I promise, it will be fine.” Anakin said, trying to comfort his padawan. Ahsoka didn’t seem to believe him, and she stared down at the floor. “Okay, how was your day?”

Ahsoka laughed a little bit. “You really are a carpool dad.” 

“No way. I’m just a supportive master,” Anakin said, scrunching up his nose. 

“Carpool dad.”

Anakin shot a glare at her, and Ahsoka laughed. “My day was fine. I kinda just followed the Farrow girl around.”

“Well, I’m glad you had an interesting day because I did not.” Anakin announced. Ahsoka laughed a little bit. “I fixed a speeder, took a nap, and meditated. I checked up on Rex, who was equally as bored, and then we complained about how bored we were.”

“Sounds like a fun day.”

“It was so unbelievably exciting,” Anakin said dryly.

Ahsoka smiled at him, and they stood in comfortable silence until the elevator stopped. The doors opened, and they stepped out. The master-padawan duo walked down the spacious hallway, until Anakin’s comlink started beeping. 

He looked at Ahsoka with confusion and she shrugged. Anakin tapped the button. 

“This is Anakin Skywalker,” he told the person on the other end. His statement sounded more like a question, the end of his words going up.

“Skywalker, Master Kenobi is currently in the Halls of Healing. He has a concussion, but refuses to stay. We were hoping you could come down here? He seems to listen to you,” the female voice on the other end asked politely. 

Anakin turned to his padawan. “I’ll be right down.” 

The connection cut out, and Ahsoka and her master started laughing. “Come on, we don’t want to keep Obi-Wan waiting,” Anakin said between snickers. 

Ahsoka nodded, and the two of them turned right towards the Halls. It was a short walk from where they had been, so they made it to the metal doors quickly. Anakin pressed a button, and the doors separated. 

The antibacterial smell of the polished medbay hit both of their noses with a sting. It was mostly quiet, except for the beeping of vital machines and the hum of droids. And of course, Obi-Wan in the back. 

“I am fine! I have matters to attend to, so I’ll be on my way,” a gruff voice commanded. 

Anakin rolled his eyes and followed the sound until he saw Obi-Wan in a hospital gown, struggling to put his boots on. 

“I’m fine! I’m absolutely fine,” Obi-Wan yelled, causing a few droids and a healer to take a step back. “I have a report to give and paperwork to do,” Obi-Wan mumbled, strapping his boots on. The Jedi stood up, grabbed his lightsaber off of a small table, and started to walk out. He was still wearing the hospital gown, that was poorly matched with the boots. Obi-Wan made it a few feet before Anakin interjected. 

Anakin’s face was turning red from trying to hold back laughter. “Master,” he choked out. 

Obi-Wan turned around quickly. “Anakin. How can I help you,” he said in his usual Coruscanti accent. 

Ahsoka was holding back laughter now, too. Obi-Wan looked ridiculous in a hospital gown poorly matched with knee high beige boots. His lightsabers were clipped at his side, and he sported a nasty black eye. 

Anakin took a deep breath and pasted a straight face on. “Obi-Wan, do you plan on going to a party with all of the other patients?”

Obi-Wan looked confused, then glanced down at his body. His face fell a little bit. He stared up at his padawan and grand padawan a little helplessly. 

Anakin smiled and walked over to his master, who was clearly not in the best state of mind. He rested a hand on his shoulder, and guided him back to the hospital bed. “Come on, why don’t you let the healers check you out and then we can stop at Dex’s. Does that sound good?” Anakin cooed. 

Ahsoka snickered a little bit, and Anakin gave her a glare. 

“I want a milkshake. A chocolate milkshake,” Obi-Wan said, his voice quiet and dazed. His trance quickly ended. “Are you trying to bribe me Anakin!” 

Anakin took a step back at his old master’s sudden blow up. “No! No,” Anakin exclaimed. Then he hung his head. “Master, please, just let them check you out. Please?” 

Obi-Wan looked into Anakin’s eyes, deep blue and giving him the sad puppy dog look. Apparently, he was still capable of it. “Fine,” he sighed. 

Anakin and Ahsoka smiled. 

*** 

The three Jedi sat in a booth, holding menus. Ahsoka sat next to her master, while Obi-Wan was across from them. 

“So, Ahsoka, I’ve heard you’re working on an undercover mission,” Obi-Wan asked as a droid set three milkshakes on the table. Obi-Wan politely grabbed his strawberry one while Ahsoka and Anakin lunged for the two chocolate ones. 

Ahsoka took a long sip of the milkshake, then loudly set it down. “It’s fine. A little annoying if anything,” she shrugged. 

Anakin laughed. “Snips is just mad that she has to wear itchy sweaters,” he mocked. 

The little padawan punched her master’s shoulder, and Anakin let out a sound. He glared at Ahsoka and rubbed his shoulder. “What was that for!”

“Making fun of me,” Ahsoka said matter-of-factly. She rested on the cushioned booth and sipped her milkshake. 

Obi-Wan chuckled a little bit. “So, nothing eventful is happening?”

“No, not really.”

“Maybe that’s for the best.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Next chapter will be up tomorrow or Thursday! Come chat with me on tumblr @kitfangirls.


	4. Jedi Temple Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did read through this before posting, but I wrote it at 12:30 last night so there might be some mistakes. This chapter also might not seem that eventful because this chapter and next chapter were supposed to be the same, but I hit 2,000 words and realized that I should just separate them. So, stay tuned for some fun next time!

Ahsoka sat in her History of the Clone Wars class, actually paying attention. The teacher talked about the ongoing siege on Ryloth, which spiked her interest. At the moment, they were learning about how the 501st broke through the blockade. Ahsoka left for a minute to use the refresher during the 1st half of the lesson. The mention of losing the cruiser and her men still hurt, even years later. The second part of the lesson was what Ahsoka liked to listen to. The daring decisions she and her master had made on the battlefront being praised in the classroom was something different. 

Of course, while Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker was mentioned multiple times throughout the lesson, Ahsoka was only referred to as ‘the padawan’ or ‘commander.’ It made her wonder if the lessons had been previously censored for the sake of the mission, or if the entire galaxy only thought of her as ‘Skywalker’s Padawan.’ 

“Do any of you know the logic behind the tactic of turning the ship so it’s hull faces the enemy?” The teacher, a younger Pantoran man. 

Ahsoka’s hand shot up. Of course she knew, she’s the one who created the tactic. The teacher looked in her direction, nodding to signal she should answer the question. “The whole theory behind it is you’re able to put more power into the deflector shields on the hull, protecting the bridge and hangar. It wouldn’t work in an active battle, but when your main goal is to just not blow up, it's effective.” 

The teacher smiled. “Exactly!” 

Ahsoka listened intently as the teacher went on about battle tactics and formations. While other students scribbled down notes and doodled diagrams, the padawan was just able to listen. She knew most of what the teacher was teaching. Some of it she helped plan. 

She vividly remembered one late night before the start of a campaign that everyone was stressed about. No one had any clue how to get past the blockade, until in the middle of the night Anakin and herself had a sleep deprived planning session between their bunks. 

They had learned about that tactic last week, apparently. 

Ameel leaned over, signaling to Ahsoka she had something to say. The togruta leaned in towards her, cupping a hand to her ear. 

“How’d you know that? I still have trouble understanding the most basic battle tactics.” Ameel hissed. 

Ahsoka smiled a little bit, an idea coming to her head. “I’m pretty good friends with Master Skywalker’s padawan,” she lied. 

Ameel pulled away and grinned at her friend. ‘Of course you are,’ she mouthed. 

Ahsoka almost laughed at how ridiculous the situation was. She was Anakin Skywalker’s apprentice, and because of that, she wanted more than anything to stand up in the middle of the class and take credit for everything she had done. It would be like when she was younger and would tell all of her friends about the battlefield in graphic stories. They all stared at her in awe as she detailed how she carved up a droid or saved her master. Now, it was different. She wanted those things but knew that taking credit for a battle tactic was nothing special. She hadn’t been trying to win the whole war. In the moment, it had been about saving her men. That’s what it was all about. Saving the people she was close to. 

The class ended, and Ahsoka slid her data pad into her bag. Students were starting to leave. She looked up at Ameel, who shifted uncomfortably where she was standing. 

“Are you okay?” Ahsoka asked, sensing her friend’s unease. 

Wait. Ameel wasn’t a friend. She was the target. 

Ameel forced a smile. “Ya. I have to do something real quick. I’ll see you in maths?” The girl didn’t wait for an answer and picked up her bag and left. 

Ahsoka watched her carefully for a moment. There was something about the way Ameel’s voice was forced, the way she shifted from side to side that didn’t sit well with the jedi. Ahsoka stood up to follow Ameel, but was stopped by the sound of her teacher's voice. 

“Ms. Tano!” Her teacher called out. “Can I speak to you for a moment?” 

Ahsoka grimaced a bit. Both at the use of ‘Ms. Tano’ and that she couldn’t follow her first real lead. She wiped the sour expression off her face and smiled, turning to face her teacher. She hoisted her bag onto her shoulder and walked towards the desk. 

The teacher smiled warmly, and pushed a bit of lavender hair from his glasses. “You’re new, right?”

The question had been asked a lot. She was a new face in the relatively small school, so it made sense. She just wasn’t used to it. Where she was from, everything was familiar. “Yes,” she replied, rather quickly so she could leave. 

“I must say, you are very knowledgeable. You could probably teach this class as well as I can,” the teacher applauded. 

Ahsoka smiled. She definitely could. “Thank you. I picked up a lot when traveling with my parents”.

The teacher looked a little surprised, but delighted, and Ahsoka realized her mistake. He was going to ask about her parents, where she’d been, who she’d met, but Ahsoka just needed to leave the room. “I’m glad I have a student with an interest in battle tactics,” he said. A few students walked into the room, and the teacher sighed. “Well, you best be getting to class. I’m happy I get to teach you.” 

“Thank you,” Ahsoka exclaimed quickly. She rushed out of the room and turned left, trying to block out the chaos around her and find Ameel. She took another turn, and slowed her pace to a walk. She was getting close. She could feel it. 

The padawan stopped in front of an empty classroom that had its doors open. She quickly ducked out of sight, and looked at the hall around her. There were no students in the seemingly deserted wing of the building. She peered into the room, and saw Ameel staring at a hologram of her father. 

Kajhal Farrow was exactly how he looked from the holonet photos she had looked at. Tall, and regal. He would not be shadowed by his senator wife. 

Ahsoka attuned her senses to Ameel’s voice. 

“Ameel,” a gruff voice barked. “You have to understand how important this is.” 

Ameel whimpered a little bit. “I’m sorry father. I’ve just been so busy sometimes I-“

“Ameel. I did not raise you to loose focus.”

There was a defeated sigh. “I’m sorry. I’ll do better.” 

There was a noise of disapproval, then the hum of the transmission turned off. Ahsoka’s eyes went wide, and she scrambled down the hallway to get out of sight. She darted past students who cursed at her when she knocked books out of their hands, but made it to her maths class and slid into her seat. The bell rang, and Ameel walked in with a smile.

She slid into the chair next to Ahsoka. 

Ahsoka stared at her for a moment. The transmission was proof that something had to be going on, but she couldn’t help but notice Ameel’s sadness. The way her smile dropped for a moment, but then quickly picked back up. Or her penc would quiver in her hand, and she would have to erase what she had written

The teacher droned on about equations that Ahsoka honestly didn’t know, but didn’t care about either. She knew basic math. Enough to get by and repair a ship. This math was ridiculous. 

Ahsoka pulled out her data pad like every other student, but saw a message. Her comlink was connected to her hardly used datapad, but she rarely got written messages. She tapped it to see what it was. 

_Take the Rylith kid to the council after school. I’m busy. Left a speeder parked in the lot.  
-skyguy_

Ahsoka smiled at the name she had inputted for her master so long ago, but then frowned when she realized the council's plan. They planned on telling Rylith, and while he seemed nice, she didn’t know if he was trustworthy. 

“Okay then,” she mumbled to herself.

She stared at Rylith from across the room, and spent the entire class thinking about how this would go. The bell finally interrupted her thoughts, and she chased after the boy. 

Ahsoka violently tapped his shoulder before he could leave the room. He turned around quickly and looked a little bit surprised. “Ahsoka!”

“You’re coming with me. Okay?” Ahsoka commanded. She tried to use her commanded voice, but it felt weird without her lightsabers at her side. 

Rylith looked puzzled and confused. Then he started to laugh. “I don’t know what game you’re playing, but it’s family holodrama night, and I have to get home.” 

Ahsoka scoffed a little bit. “Tell that to the Jedi.” 

Rylith paled, but then smirked. “Haha funny joke. Why would the council need me?” 

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes. “Look, just come with me. Okay? If you don’t come, I have a comlink in my back pocket that has a few dozen other Jedi that would not be so happy if I had to call for help with a teenage boy. 

Rylith rolled his eyes. “Okay, I’ll go with you so we can get this elaborate prank over with.” He turned when Ahsoka turned, and followed her down the hall. 

They exited at the doors to the speeder lot, and Ahsoka spotted her speeder in a spot near the front. Her face lit up a bit at seeing it. It was Jedi issued, but Anakin and her had spent a lot of time customizing it when he was first teaching her about mechanics. That’s how they got close and built up their bond.

“C’mon,” she said quickly, beckoning for the teenage boy to follow. 

She jumped over to the edge of the speeder, while Rylith opened the door. Then he stopped. “Are you even old enough to have a speeder license?”

Ahsoka stopped at the question. She never really thought about that. You had to be 18 to legally drive a speeder on Coruscant, but she’d been driving her own since she was 14. She’s only gotten pulled over once, and Anakin just flashed the lightsaber and they were sent on their way. 

Ahsoka finally just shrugged. “I don’t know. Doesn’t really matter.” 

Rylith gaped at her for a second, then got in the passenger seat. He carefully set his bag on his lap, and Ahsoka pulled out. 

She flew towards the Jedi Temple in the distance. It’s familiar spires seemed to sit above the city. She stopped at a light, and turned to Rylith. 

“See, my driving is not bad.” 

Rylith shook his head. “You kept using illegal military lanes.” 

Ahsoka smiled. “‘Not illegal if you have a military chip.” 

Rylith stared at her again. “Who are you? I know you but I can’t figure it out. You just show up at school, take down Deyto Rehkin, and are apparently best friends with the Jedi?” 

Ahsoka didn’t know what to say, so she just countered with her usual witty remark. “I’m a pretty interesting person.” 

Rylith rolled his eyes, and they finally made it to the front lot of the Jedi Temple  
It was standard procedure to park a speeder in the front lot and enter through the main entrance if a civvie was coming in, but that didn’t mean it wasn't annoying. No one ever seemed to understand the amount of stair steps there were leading to the temple. 

The pair reached the large entrance where a few clones were guarding. There were four, standing on either side of the entrance. “Commander,” one of them said curtly with a quick head nod. 

Ahsoka stared at the clone for a second, then smiled. “Fives. What’d you do to get on guard duty.” 

Fives slumped a little bit. “Rex put me on. Echo and I spiked his caf this morning and recorded the security footage of him babbling about how much he loved transport 1386. It was worth it. Echo didn’t get caught, which is unfair.”

Ahsoka couldn’t help but laugh. “Can you send me it?”

“Of course, Commander,” he said with a smile. Then he looked at Rylith. “What are you doing with a civvie?”

Ahsoka frowned a little bit. “Jedi business.” 

Even though Ahsoka knew Fives was about to crack a joke, he nodded and kept a straight face. She hated using the dreaded ‘Jedi Business’ card, but didn’t really have another option. “Tell the General I said hi. And he should demote Rex. And promote me.”

Ahsoka smiled. “I will. Except the promoting part. I don’t think Rex would take well to that.”

Fives laughed, and Ahsoka walked into the temple. Rylith followed a few steps behind her. “Jedi business! Wait-are you a jedi.” 

Ahsoka shook her head and smirked. “I don’t know, am I a Jedi?”

Rylith hung his head in thought and defeat. Ahsoka felt bad, but it was funny trying to watch him figure everything out. Watching his confusion was the only entertaining thing that had happened all day. “Come on, we have a few minutes so I’m going to make a quick stop and change.” 

Rylith kept turning his head to really get a good look at everything. He was in the Jedi Temple, and probably wouldn’t come back in again. A few top students went on a field trip here every year, but he couldn’t dream of getting marks that high. He looked up in awe at the tall statues and the Jedi Knights he recognized from History of the Clone Wars class just walking around. Some younglings chased each other around, and younger Jedi mingled in groups.

The boy kept in step with Ahsoka, trying to keep up with her as she expertly moved through stairs and corridors. Ahsoka waved to a few people, exchanging a few words with a few. Finally, they made it into a hallway that was a little more empty. There were just a few doors on each side. Ahsoka pressed a button to open one of them, and the two sides separated. 

She walked in, beckoning for Rylith to follow. He did so cautiously, and watched as she hung her bag on a hook by the door. He examined the room a little bit. There were posters and photos strewn all over the wall, figurines and spare parts stacked everywhere. There was a little kitchenette, and a small area with a couch. Behind the couch were two twin beds, one decorated with starship posters, and the other adorned with photos. The one with the starships posters was a mess. Tools were strewn everywhere, nuts, bolts, and wires in little piles. The one with the photos wasn’t much better. Instead there were little book-chips thrown about, and a flimsy notebook in the middle. 

In between the two beds there was a man sitting at the desk. His back was to the door, so all Rylith could see was a mess of dirty blonde hair. The man was hunched over intently, working on something. 

When the door shut behind them, he sat up straighter and turned around. 

Rylith was looking at _General Freaking Anakin Skywalker_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and Comments appreciated! Come chat with my on tumblr @kitfangirls


	5. The Jedi Council

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is a day late! I do my best writing at midnight, so I had to read through this three or four times. It’s a shorter chapter, but I like this one.

“Snips, why is there a stranger in my quarters.” 

Ahsoka was already headed for her dresser, pulling out her usual combat outfit. She shut the drawer and glared at her master. “Our quarters.” 

Anakin rolled his eyes. “Our quarters, okay, but why is there a random teenage boy in here!” He gestured to Rylith, who was standing near the door uncomfortably. 

Rylith glanced at the Hero with No Fear, a face he had seen in the tabloids so many times. Except, this didn’t look like the Anakin Skywalker everyone made him out to be. Sure, he looked like a Jedi. A thick scar over his eye, lightsaber at his side, and a scary looking metal prosthetic. The metal prosthetic was being pointed at the teenage boy, and made him feel nervous. But he seemed so _young_. He couldn’t be older that 23, and he smiled like a goofy teenager. It was strange to Rylith, who saw the Jedi as serious protectors of the peace. 

“It’s the kid. The one the council needs,” Ahsoka said nonchalantly. She quickly darted off towards the refresher, a change of clothes in hand. This left Anakin and Rylith alone. 

The Jedi examined the boy. Rylith tried to maintain a calm facade, crossing his arms over his chest. Skywalker mirrored him, which didn’t help with his unease. “Rylith, right?” 

“Ya.” 

They sat in a moment of uncomfortable silence. Anakin turned around to continue fixing his metal hand. There were some buzzing sounds and a little bit of smoke, until he let out a defeated grunt. “Kid, can you pass the wrench to me.” 

Rylith hated being called ‘kid,’ but wasn’t ready to argue with a Jedi Knight. So he picked up the wrench and held it awkwardly in his hands. He didn’t really want to walk further into the quarters, but the desk was on the complete opposite wall. 

“Just toss it.” 

Rylith did so, throwing the wrench in Skywalker’s general direction. The man just held up a hand, and the wrench seemed to levitate towards it. He didn’t even look back to catch it. 

Thankfully, Ahsoka walked out of the refresher before the boy could do anything stupid. She was wearing a combat outfit, and dramatically stretched her arms up when she walked out. “Ugh, I hated that stupid dress,” she grumbled.

“Padmé said you looked cute in it,” Anakin shrugged, smirking a little bit.

Ahsoka glared at him. “You know what also looks cute? When I slice that stupid smile off your face.” 

“Oh, because you could totally beat me.” Anakin picked up his lightsaber and casually tossed it in the air, leaning back a little bit in his chair. 

Ahsoka snorted. “When your stance is off I can.” She was specifically referring to the day before yesterday, when the apprentice quickly pinned down her master after his lost his stance and balance.

Anakin rolled his eyes. “Be quiet. You’re going to be late and Obi-Wan’s going to yell at me for not teaching you punctuality.” 

Ahsoka walked over to where Rylith was standing and quickly retrieved it from the secret pocket of her bag. She clipped them to her belt and turned to her master. “How uncivilized,” Ahsoka said in her mock Coruscanti accent, trying to mimic the Master Jedi. 

“Go.”

Ahsoka smiled, and her master smiled back. She turned to Rylith and gently pushed him out the door. The quarters shut behind them, and she led the pair down the hallway. Rylith jogged to catch up with her, and then finally matched her pace.

“So you are a Jedi?”

Ahsoka nodded. 

Rylith eyed her suspiciously. “Wait, if your Master Skywalker’s padawan then that means we learned about you in History of the Clone Wars class.” 

“And?” Ahsoka rested a hand at her belt as she continued to walk. 

“So if you broke through the blockade almost two years ago, that means-“

“I was 14. How’s that important?” Ahsoka said with the flick of her hand. 

Rylith stared at her, then shook his head. “I just don’t really believe it.” 

Ahsoka gestured to her lightsabers. “You better believe it.” She pressed the button to open the lift, and the two stepped in. All of the sudden Ahsoka could feel nervousness filling up the small box. She turned to Rylith. “Are you okay? I’m getting second hand anxiety.” 

Rylith shook his head and looked at the ground. “I’m fine.” 

Ahsoka eyes him cautiously. “Just stand in the center of the circle. Okay?”

The boy nodded, and looked up when the doors separated. There was a small room before a large archway. Beyond the arch, the Jedi Council sat in a circle. A chill went down his spine, and he followed Ahsoka when she walked into the center of the circle. She bowed her head towards Master Yoda, and Rylith clumsily followed. 

Ahsoka glanced sideways at him, biting her lip so she wouldn’t laugh. She had been so used to being out of her comfort zone, it was amusing to see someone else feel the same. Of course, she didn’t enjoy coming in front of the council, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Master Plo always gave her what she hoped were reassuring looks, and Master Kenobi smiled at her whenever she got nervous. She didn’t enjoy Mace Windu. That was just something she had to work through. 

“Padawan Tano,” Yoda said in recognition. Ahsoka nodded in response, and Rylith felt like he was missing out on some secret code. 

Then Yoda turned to the teen boy, and Rylith felt his cheeks grow hot. He was a pretty level headed person, but he was currently alone with five Jedi. Yoda gave him a comforting look, and he relaxed a bit. “Rylith Heduit, you are?”

“Yes, Master,” Rylith croaked out softly. 

Master Windu leaned forward a little bit. “Rylith, I’m going to simplify this as much as I can for you-,” the Master Jedi started. 

He felt a little offended. “With all due respect, Master Jedi, I am competent. I have an education and I’m not a youngling,” Rylith said clearly. As soon as they were out, Rylith regretted them. He had just talked back to Mace Windu. His face turned a deep shade of crimson, and he got even darker when Windu raised an eyebrow.

“Okay,” he said slowly, looking Rylith over thoroughly. “Then can I ask you a question?” The man didn’t really wait for a response, continuing on. “Did you meet Padawan Ahsoka Tano and her master Anakin Skywalker about a year and a half ago on Arkanis?”

Rylith was about to spit out his answer. _Of course not_. But he thought a little harder and realized he had. That’s why Ahsoka was familiar. They had met during what Rylith thought would be an awful banquet about a year and a half ago. It turned around quickly when his mother told him that two Jedi would be joining them. He spent the evening sitting by Ahsoka and having her dramatically recount different battles for him. How had he not remembered her?

Then he realized why he hadn’t. That childlike glow had been dimmed. Her dramatic stories and eccentric ribbons had been dulled and ripped apart. Her eyes were a little harder, just like her montrals were a little taller. Even though she had the face of a 16 year old togruta, her eyes seemed ancient. 

It was harrowing. 

“I do remember that,” Rylith stammered, eyeing Ahsoka. He examined the way she stood, a little bored but straight. Like a soldier. 

Windu eyed him cautiously while a few other masters changed their positions in their chairs. “Padawan Tano is currently on an undercover mission at your school, a mission you don’t need to know the details about. We brought you here to tell you to stay silent about Ahsoka’s identity. If you don’t, the punishments will be severe.”

Rylith took a deep breath. “I understand.” He had just been threatened by a Jedi.

“You are dismissed.” 

That was quick. 

Ahsoka dipped her head in a quick bow and turned on her heels, hoping that her new ‘friend’ was behind her. They stepped into the lift. 

“I can’t believe I didn’t remember you,” Rylith admitted. 

Ahsoka shrugged. “I meet a lot of people. I’m sure you do too.” She wasn’t going to admit to him she enjoyed that stupid banquet. The way she discreetly showed Rylith her lightsaber under the table, knowing her master would scold her for gloating. How she convinced him to sneak out before dessert so she could pull a prank on Echo, who she knew would be triple checking the supplies. 

Rylith shook his head. “No, you’re just different.” 

Ahsoka paused for a second. She tried not to find a deeper meaning to his words, and instead smirked. “What, is it my outfit?”

Rylith couldn’t help but laugh, and Ahsoka joined him. Rylith may have been a diplomat, but he was fun. Light hearted and cool. In fact, he’d taken her being a Jedi really well. 

Ahsoka looked up at the ceiling for no particular reason. The two had stopped laughing and now stood in silence. Finally, Ahsoka interrupted it. “Do you live far from here? I guess I have to get you home now.” 

Rylith seemed to snap of whatever thought he was in. “Um, yeah. I live a few blocks away from the senate building. With my aunt and uncle.” 

Ahsoka hummed in acknowledgment, stepping out of the lift when it opened. They walked down the hallway for a few minutes before they reached the exit to the temple. Rylith had attempted to get information on why she was at the school, but Ahsoka kept her lips sealed. She didn’t need to get in trouble with council. 

Finally, they reached her speeder. Ahsoka used her comm to start it, like she had programmed it too. Then she backed out and joined the thousands of other speeders above her. 

“So, I was thinking,” Rylith started. 

Ahsoka scoffed. “Really?”

Rylith rolled his eyes. “It’s pretty obvious you’re a Jedi.” 

Ahsoka turned to him abruptly, staring daggers. Rylith chuckled a little bit. “Eyes on the road, Jedi, I need to get home in one piece.” 

Ahsoka continued to stare at him. “I’ve got the force,” she said carelessly, gesturing to the road. “So please tell me why it’s obvious I’m a Jedi.” She knew she was an awful actor. She was surprised the Zygerria mission hadn’t gone down in flames sooner. But the cover story seemed decent, and she had started to fit into to new role well. 

“Well, you just know too much in the right areas. And no _actual_ negotiator for the banking clan would fly their child into an active war zone. Why do you think half the kids in the academy are on Coruscant? Our parents didn’t want us getting to close to the war.” 

Ahsoka was about to interrupt him. What did he mean by our? But he continued on, paying no attention to Ahsoka’s open mouth. “Anyways, I don’t know who you’re spying on, but they’re going to figure out something is off with you. We’re all smart at the academy.”

Ahsoka pursed her lips, finally turning her eyes back to the road. “And what do you want me to do about this? I’m just doing what the council asked me too,” she shrugged. The words felt sour as they came out of her mouth. Was she really just doing work blindly for the order? _Of course not_. She’d agreed to the mission, after all. 

“You could pretend to date me,” he said carelessly, flicking his hand up a little bit. 

Ahsoka started to laugh. “No way. Jedi have a strict ‘no attachments’ rule. So no. Definitely not.”

“That’s the point, though,” Rylith explained, his hands starting to wave around as he talked. “No one would suspect you’re a Jedi if you have a boyfriend.” He crossed his arms over his chest and sat back. “Besides, hardly anyone at school is single. I honestly think Ameel and I are the only ones. You would fit in better.”

Ahsoka’s heart stopped for a second at the mention of Ameel, and she pursed her lips. It wasn’t an awful idea. It would buy her time and a little bit of wiggle room, but it just felt wrong. “I’ll think about it.” 

As if on cue, Ahsoka reached the open balcony of Rylith’s home. It resembled Senator Amidala’s home, and she started to wonder if all of the elite had the same apartment model.

Rylith grasped his leather satchel bag, which seemed a little mundane for someone attending the academy. With one hand, he waved at Ahsoka and then disappeared inside. 

Ahsoka sighed, emotionally drained by his presence. She couldn’t wait to return to her quarters. Master Kenobi had promised to play Sabacc with her tonight. She pressed her foot to the accelerator, and sped off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come chat with me on tumblr @kitfangirls. Kudos and comments appreciated!


	6. What am I Fighting For?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka and Rylith yell at each other, Ahsoka questions the past two years of her life, and the trio spends some quality time together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry this chapter is ridiculously late! I made it extra long to make up for that haha. Life got super busy, so I will probably post weekly or semi-weekly. I’ll try to post every Friday or Saturday.

Ahsoka was putting away a metal rod, taking off a few wrappings on her hand. Today's defense lesson was about using nearby objects to fend off attackers, which Ahsoka excelled at. Except her teacher kept yelling at her because instead of running, she continued to fight. She had damaged at least three droids beyond repair. 

“Did you have a personal grudge against those droids?” Someone said behind her. It took her a minute to figure out it was Rylith. She hadn’t noticed he was in her self defense class, but she truthfully only focused on Ameel. 

She shrugged a little bit, looking over her shoulder. “They’re B1 battle droids. That’s what the Separatists use. Must’ve been repurposed, but I do hate them.” She chuckled a little bit. 

Rylith smirked. “So you’re saying I took down a Seperatist battle droid?”

“You wish,” Ahsoka scoffed. “These are the easy ones. I’ve taken down 1,000’s of these. The hard ones are the destroyers. Don’t mess with those.” 

Rylith looked like he wanted to know more, but Ahsoka didn’t give him the chance. She quickly moved onto another subject. “So, about your offer yesterday. I think it’s a good idea. I could use something to fall back on.” The togruta stared at her feet for a minute, reminded of how much she hated awkward situations. She was hardly ever in them, mostly spending time around Jedi Knights and clones. She preferred a battle droid to a difficult human interaction any day.

“See, I’m smart. I can help you out. Not all-,” he paused for a second and looked confused. “What did that clone call me yesterday?”

Ahsoka laughed. “A civvie.”

“Not all civvies are worthless,” he announced, pointing a finger up. 

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. “See you at lunch.” 

***

Ameel led the pair into the cafeteria, talking about some senate issue that Ahsoka didn’t really care about. The only ones she did pay attention to were the ones that applied to her. Like the clone rights debates, which she tried to watch. She usually brought back news to the boys. 

“‘Soka,” Ameel called. “Are you in there?”

Ahsoka shook her head. “Sorry, I was just thinking about something,” 

Ameel leaned in. “Are you and Rylith really together?” 

Ahsoka pulled back quickly, a little shocked. She had just finished making the agreement with Rylith just 10 minutes ago. Had word already spread? Of course, that was the point, but she didn’t really understand how people could know in such a short amount of time. “Um, yeah,” Ahsoka stammered. 

Ameel looked her over quickly, which made Ahsoka uncomfortable. Had she done something wrong?

Finally, the girl shrugged. “What are you getting for lunch today?”

The togruta let out a silent sigh of relief. Every time Ameel did something unusual or seemed suspicious, Ahsoka’s mind would spin in circles. The miniature Senator was not only smart, but extremely hard to read. It was a dangerous combination. 

“Probably just a sandwich.” 

Ameel frowned, and Ahsoka’s head moved in a circle again. “Didn’t you get that yesterday. And the day before?”

She shrugged. “It’s good. Has a lot of meat, not too much bread. Roasted well. The seasoning is amazing,” Ahsoka dramatically monologued. It was a good sandwich. The food in the temple was bland. Mostly just dry slabs of meat with little seasoning. The rations on the battlefield were worse. She ended up living off of protein bars during weeks of deployment. Sometimes, they would get lucky and get the good shipment. No one could count on quality food, though. 

Ameel laughed a little bit. “Have you ever had pizza? We have the best here. Lots of meat.” 

Ahsoka gave her a puzzled look. “Pizza?”

“It’s just thin dough with cheese and whatever toppings you want. They have one you would like. It’s stacked with seven different types of meat.”

It sounded amazing. Ahsoka’s mouth watered at the thought. “I’ll try it,” she said nonchalantly, hiding that she was dying to sink her teeth into it. 

Ameel led her over to one of the small stalls, and grabbed a plain cheese slice for herself. Ahsoka grabbed the one piled with meat. She could smell the seasoning as she carried it back to their circular table. She was so busy focusing on the thought of eating the pizza, she didn’t notice the entire table staring at her. 

She slid into the chair next to Rylith, and was about to bite into her lunch. 

“So, are you two _really_ together,” the pantoran girl asked. Her name was Nirea, if Ahsoka could recall. She hadn’t really talked to her before. 

Ahsoka suppressed an eye roll, and was relieved when Rylith answered the question for her. 

“I guess. It’s still hard to believe I’m with someone as amazing as Ahsoka,” Rylith gushed. He wrapped a hand around Ahsoka’s shoulders, and pulled her closer. Soon, they were touching and Ahsoka was in his embrace. She did not like it. 

She pasted on a fake smile, preparing her speech to Rylith. This was too much. By ‘pretending to be together’ she meant holding hands and sitting next to each other in class. Not cuddling in the middle of the lunch room. 

She tried to think of something mushy to say, but came up empty handed. _what would Padmé say to Anakin if he said this_ she hissed to herself. So she may have placed a bug on Anakin’s robes to see where he was sneaking out every night, sue her. She did manage to find out he had a secret wife. He didn’t need to know that, though. 

“You're so sweet,” Ahsoka forced through gritted teeth. 

Rylith leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead. She resisted the urge to pull away then smack him. This was unacceptable. They had not agreed to this at all. Sometimes Ahsoka hugged people, the Jedi who she looked up to, a few senator friends, and of course Artoo, but she was not used physical interaction.

Rylith clearly did not understand that. Ahsoka would not sit here like a rag doll, waiting to be cuddled by a boy. It took everything for her not to stand up and sock him in the nose, so she crouched over her pizza and chewed away. 

The second the cheese hit her mouth, she was in heaven. The flavors were more intense than the sand which, the cheese adding an extra layer. The different meats came together so perfectly. Ahsoka closed her eyes for a minute. 

“Do you like it?” Someone asked, chuckling a little bit. 

Ahsoka opened her eyes to see it was Ameel, almost done with her own piece. 

“It’s amazing. I don’t think I’ll be able to go back to starship food ever again.” 

One or two people chuckled, and Ahsoka finished her food. This gave her the perfect opportunity to give Rylith a piece of her mind. In the non-violent, peaceful, Jedi way, of course. With that in mind, she stood up and violently grabbed Rylith’s hand. 

He dropped his fork and gave her a confused look, but followed when she continued to tug on his hand. Ahsoka dragged him through the tables and out a door, into a small courtyard. It was empty, and the scent of trees was nice compared to the layer of smog below them. A flower bed was in the corner and the grass was soft, but neither of the teenagers had any time to enjoy this because Ahsoka instantly started yelling

“What are you doing? When I said ‘pretend to date me’ I didn’t mean cuddle me and be all disgusting!” Ahsoka shouted, backing a few feet away from the boy. 

Rylith rolled his eyes. “Have you ever done anything resembling dating before.”

Ahsoka crossed her arms over her chest, and gave him a smug look. “Actually, yes.” 

“I don’t believe you,” Rylith smirked. “Aren’t Jedi not supposed to have attachments?”

Ahsoka looked him over and scoffed. “Look, I’ve been in a lot of situations where I’ve had to pretend to be a lot of things. So if anyone knows anything about faking their way through a situation, it’s me. Got it?” Rylith looked a little unsure about what she had said, and gave her a sideways look. She rolled her eyes at him. “I may not be the best actor, but I can fake my way through something.”

Ahsoka stared at the boy, who was standing there with a smug look on his face. She really hated him right now. He was being difficult and obnoxious. The only other teenage boy Ahsoka had gotten relatively close with was Lux Bonteri. While Lux could be a real pain, it was nothing close to Rylith. Suddenly, Ahsoka was thankful for the no attachment rules. She didn’t have to worry about awful teenage boys. 

“Fine. We’ll do if your way, just hold hands in the hallway and sneak away during classes.” He admitted, mimicking Ahsoka’s crossed arms. “But if anyone gets suspicious, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” 

Ahsoka looked him over, and then started walking towards the door. “Come on. I want to get another slice of pizza.” 

***  
Ahsoka walked into class with Rylith. They had just been talking about speeders, for one reason or another, and the conversation ended when they walked through the door. The togruta slid into usual seat near the back of the class, Rylith taking one next to her. 

Ameel was on the other side of her, flipping through notes on her datapad. She fumbled with a stylus pen, adding small footnotes and diagrams. Both Rylith and Ahsoka lifted an eyebrow as she reorganized and reformatted her holopages. 

“What are you doing?” Ahsoka questioned. 

Ameel leaned back a little bit, then set her datapad on the desk. She sighed. “Just reorganizing my notes. Some of the battle terms don’t make sense, and the tactics just don’t fit together,” she said with a little bit of frustration. 

Ahsoka smiled. “You know, if you need help I’m pretty good at that stuff.”

Ameel lifted her head. “Really? Everyone seems to have trouble with the class so I didn’t want to bother anyone.” 

“Of course. That’s what friends do.”

Ameel smiled, about to say something, but then the bell rang. 

The teacher stood up in front of the class, and everyone turned away from their conversations. Some students took out datapad and pieces of flimsy. Ahsoka glanced at Rylith for a second, who was fumbling with his pencil. She smirked a little bit and leaned back in her chair. 

“Today, we will be learning about the second battle of Geonosis,” the teacher declared. 

Ahsoka looked up a little bit. The teacher started talking about how the Geonosians were relentless in their defense. It made it almost impossible to get transports to the front lines. He lectured on the importance of destroying the droids factory, and finally got to the part of the battle Ahsoka remembered the most. When her and Barriss almost gave their lives for the droid factory to fall. 

The teacher finished his dramatic presentation, and Ahsoka couldn’t help but notice how Rylith looked at her. His stare seemed to drive into her temple, and she shifted uncomfortably. 

“Okay, because you are all aspiring politicians, we are going to have a debate,” the teacher announced. 

The class seemed to get a little excited, friends whispering to each other. Ahsoka looked at Ameel for an answer, and the girl leaned towards her. “Mr. Parat’s debates are very controversial. They can be pretty fun when things get heated,” she whispered. 

Ahsoka’s heart dropped a little bit. She was going to stick out like a sore thumb. She had little experience with debating and politics. While she sometimes sat in on the senate debates that applied to her, her experience level paled in comparison with the politicians to-be.

She sighed, and focused her attention on the teacher. She already had an essay due in three rotations for her astronavigation course at the temple, and now she had to add on research for this debate. And her usual Jedi coursework. 

Mr. Parat stood at the front of the class. “So, we’ve learned about how the two Jedi padawan learners almost sacrificed their lives to destroy the droid factory. Now do any of you know how old the two were?” He paused for a second, and no one answered. The question was clearly rhetorical. “The younger was barely 15, the elder 16. The rank of a Jedi Padawan in the military is a commander. This means they have hundreds of soldiers that answer to them. Some are leading fighter squadrons into battle at just 14, ready to die for the Republic. Your debate topic is: Are young padawan learners heroes of the Republic, or child soldiers of the senate,” He paused for a moment, adding to the dramatic effect. “Please write your side on a slip of flimsy with your name.” 

Everyone instantly turned to their friends and started talking, discussing what side they wanted to be on and reasons why they were right. Ahsoka just stared at the floor. She didn’t know what to do. Did people really think that _she/ _was a child soldier, a weapon just being manipulated by the Republic.__

__The thought stung. Maybe she was a bit young and inexperienced when she first met Anakin on Christophsis, but she put her heart and soul into each battle. She did it to protect people, to save lives, and the thought of other people viewing that as a bad thing made her sick._ _

__“Ahsoka!” Ameel said quickly, pulling her back into reality._ _

__Ahsoka tried to wipe the discomfort off of her face. “Yeah?”_ _

__Ameel examined her carefully for a second, then moved on. “What side are you going to choose?”_ _

__Ahsoka bit her bottom lip. “Um, pro-padawan.” She couldn’t debate against herself. Kriff the mission, she still had to keep her dignity intact. “Ya, pro padawan.”_ _

__Ameel scrunched her nose up a little bit. “I mean, not to be rude, but do you really believe that.”_ _

__The togruta didn’t know how to react, and just sat there blinking. Luckily, Ameel filled the silence._ _

__“I mean, the republic is carting children off to battle. Handing them a weapon and throwing them into a fighter, pointing at the battle field and telling them to blow something up. Sure, they’ve saved lives, but couldn’t other people do that? Not 14 year olds.”_ _

__Ahsoka found her footing, suddenly comprehending the situation she was in. “Yes, but these ‘children’ have been raised to save lives and protect people. They’ve been taught to put others before themselves and fight for the greater good. And besides, it’s not like they’re getting thrown onto the battlefield. They have years of experience, taking classes dedicated to battle techniques.”_ _

__Ameel went quiet for a second. “Don’t you think that’s kind of sad?” She paused for a second. “They have no life. They’ve been taken away from their parents to just become weapons. Giving their lives up before they can barely walk.”_ _

__The two sat in silence. Ahsoka had never met her parents. She hardly remembered them, just blurry pictures of two togruta cooing softly to her. Some part of her wanted to mourn the loss of the family she’d never had, but she didn’t know how. The Jedi were her family. Anakin and Obi-Wan and all the clones. It was enough for her, but she hadn’t thought about everything she’d lost._ _

__The bell rang and Ahsoka was thankful that the conversation with Ameel could end. She didn’t know how to properly defend herself without blowing her cover, and something in the back of her mind was eating at her. What if they were right? Ahsoka remembered the first time she commanded a squadron. She’d lost her men. They had died because of her._ _

__That night, she had to write a casualty list to give to the Republic. She sat at the desk of her and Anakin’s shared quarters, copying the names from a piece of flimsy onto a datapad. She started crying in the middle of it. Anakin had come in, giving her a hug and reminding her that she had to learn from her mistakes so this wouldn’t happen again. He sent her to bed and finished the list._ _

__Ahsoka stood up, grabbing her bag and getting ready to leave. Ameel had already moved ahead, talking to another boy about the assignment. The togruta just fumbled with the strap of her bag. She reached into the secret compartment of the bag and ran her hand over her lightsabers. She felt someone come up behind her and turned around._ _

__It was Rylith. He clutched his own bag, giving her a weak smile. “Um, are you okay?”_ _

__Ahsoka pasted a grin onto her face. “Come on, let’s get to maths.” She punched his shoulder._ _

__Rylith smiled a little bit, and followed the padawan learner out of the classroom._ _

__***_ _

__Ahsoka was sitting on her bed, scrubbing away on a piece of flimsy. She had a datatale open next to her, and was trying to cram her astronavigation report. She copied down equations and courses, trying to remember everything she could from the holovid’s that her teacher provided._ _

__Her mind was busy with other things. The debate continued to eat at a corner of her brain and wouldn’t leave him alone. What if she really was just another soldier of the republic, trained to fight for this never ending war? Was the council wrong to send her out into battle at such a young age? She looked back at her younger self, so eager to gain experience and throw herself into harm's way. Maybe she was just being used._ _

__She leaned on the thin pillow and stared at the ceiling. She didn’t have time to meditate, but let her thoughts wander for a moment. Her world had grown so busy, it was all she could allow herself. The door to the quarters opened, but Ahsoka’s eyes stayed focused on the ceiling._ _

__“Hey, Snips,” Anakin mumbled, closing the door behind him._ _

__Ahsoka’s eyes continued to stare at the ceiling and she frowned. “Master.”_ _

__Anakin stared at his padawan for a moment, trying to figure out what was wrong. There was something off about the energy surrounding her. While she was usually calm and sure, she seemed troubled and confused. “Um, did something happen at school today?” He asked cautiously. He was never the best at touchy-feely emotional conversations, and Ahsoka wasn’t either. He’d picked her up when she was crying before, and she’d woken him up from nightmares, but they hardly ever talked about emotions. It just wasn’t their style. So he tried to awkwardly dance around her current mental state._ _

__“‘M fine,” she mumbled, confirming Anakin’s beliefs. She was definitely not fine. If she was, she would’ve tackled him to the ground or grabbed her lightsabers and forced him to teach her advanced reverse grip._ _

__Anakin stood there for a moment, trying to think about what to do. A smile crept onto his face, and he walked over to his padawan. “Come on, get on my shoulders. I don’t do well with sad padawans.”_ _

__Ahsoka laughed half-heartedly, knowing what he was trying to do. When she had first become his padawan, Anakin had a method to dealing with Ahsoka’s bad days. It always included hoisting her onto his shoulders, and running around the halls of the Resolute while Ahsoka screamed her head off. She liked feeling tall, powerful, and free._ _

__They hadn’t done that in ages._ _

__“I know what you’re trying to do. I’m fine, I promise. Besides, my montrals are probably too tall now.”_ _

__Anakin made a sour expression. “Excuses. Now get up here before I make you talk to someone.”_ _

__Ahsoka rolled her eyes, and let Anakin pull her onto his shoulders. Her montrals almost touched the ceiling when he stood up, but cleared it by a few inches. She looked down and forgot how tall her master was, and clutched his shoulders a little tighter._ _

__Then Anakin started sprinting around their small apartment._ _

__“Stop it,” Ahsoka heaved in between breaths. She was laughing so hard she could barely breathe. Her knuckles were white from gripping her master’s shoulder so tightly. “I’m going-,” she stuttered, “to fall!”_ _

__Anakin didn’t respond, and just moved faster. They were both laughing so hard, the Jedi Knight tripped on a rug. They both toppled onto the floor, catching themselves before they could get hurt._ _

__The duo was on the floor, laughing. Neither of them bothered to get up, both just giggling so hard they could barely breathe. Ahsoka finally stopped, and Anakin followed._ _

__“Thanks,” she mumbled._ _

__Anakin turned his head to look at her. “Just be grateful you have the best master ever.”_ _

__Ahsoka rolled her eyes a little bit, and pushed herself off of the floor. She walked back over to her bed, and was about to reopen her book._ _

__Anakin frowned at her. His padawan was _never_ like this. She felt emotions, of course, but she always preferred to fight them off. “Is Barris here?” He asked nonchalantly, knowing that Ahsoka enjoyed watching hologramas with her friend when she was upset. _ _

__Ahsoka didn’t look up at him, but shook her head. “No. She’s on Kabal, doing something.”_ _

__Anakin pursed his lips. Some part of him wanted to walk away, let Ahsoka deal with her emotions alone. Another part of him knew that she shouldn’t have to deal with them alone. And whatever was bothering her wasn’t going to be solved by writing an essay. He searched for something that would get her mind off whatever was happening until he finally came up with the perfect idea._ _

__“Snips, how do you feel about cooking?”_ _

__Ahsoka’s face scrunched up. “Master, we never cook. We don’t even have any food in the conservator.”_ _

__“Obi-Wan goes to the market every time he gets back from the temple. His conservator is always stocked.” He pointed out, already opening the door to the hall._ _

__Ahsoka rolled her eyes and followed him._ _

__“Besides, we can make something like that sandwich you were drooling over the other day.”_ _

__“I was not _drooling_ over it. It was just a really good sandwich!”_ _

__***  
“Anakin, you almost knocked over the seasoning!” Obi-Wan shouted while he stirred some sort of sauce. _ _

__Anakin shot him a look, opening the oven and throwing some lumps of dough in. “I had to get the rolls in if they’re going to be done in time.” He shut the oven door and leaned against it. “My rolls are going to be the best.”_ _

__Ahsoka looked at him. She was sitting on the counter, sticking a spoonful of batter into her mouth. “My mini-cakes are going to be the best.”_ _

__“If there’s going to be anything left to bake after you’re done eating the batter,” Obi-Wan shot. Ahsoka rolled her eyes, and ate another spoonful of batter. “I don’t understand how you two manage to turn everything into a competition.”_ _

__Anakin shrugged. “It makes everything a little more exciting.”_ _

__Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, and dumped the seasoning and the queg that was roasting on the pan in front of him. The smells of the species immediately filled the air, and all three of the Jedi took a deep breath. “I think I might win this round,” Obi-Wan mumbled under his breath._ _

__Anakin smirked, then looked at Ahsoka. She was still perched on the counter, shoveling the batter into her mouth. “Snips, quit it. I want dessert.”_ _

__“I was just taste testing!”_ _

__“By eating the whole bowl?”_ _

__Ahsoka rolled her eyes and hopped down from the counter. She turned around and started dividing the batter into their small pans. After she finished, she quickly moved towards the oven where the mini-cakes joined the rolls._ _

__She leaned against the counter, making the area near the oven considerably crowded. Not that it wasn’t crowded before. Jedi quarters weren’t equipped to hold many people._ _

__Obi-Wan removed the pan from the burner, and dumped the meat onto plates. The oven beeped, and Anakin removed the rolls. Ahsoka just stared at the food, her mouth watering. She really liked to eat._ _

__Obi-Wan grabbed two of the plates, levitating the other with his mind and moved towards the table. Anakin followed closely behind with his rolls, and Ahsoka quickly removed her mini-cakes from the oven. She joined her master and grandmaster and the table, and didn’t wait to start eating._ _

__“This is amazing,” she said between bites._ _

__“Which is better, the rolls or the meat?” Anakin asked, taking a bite from his own plate._ _

__Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, and the trio settled into a short comfortable silence. Then the Jedi Master interrupted it. “How is your mission going, Ahsoka,” he asked._ _

__Ahsoka’s heart dropped a little bit. She didn’t want to think or talk about the mission. She glanced at Anakin, who looked equally as frustrated by his old master bringing up the situation. He must’ve caught on to why she was a little bit, unsettled._ _

__“It’s fine,” she said quickly. There was an awkward pause and Ahsoka felt the need to continue. “Just weird. They look at everything I’ve been taught from a new angle and pick it apart. The war is just something they learn about in classes and don’t quite understand, but still feel the need to argue about. It's just hard to completely fit in without losing myself.” Ahsoka sighed, and glanced at her feet._ _

__Obi-Wan and Anakin didn’t know how to respond. They didn’t understand what a  
Ahsoka was dealing with, despite their efforts. Anakin opened his mouth to say something, anything, to help his padawan, but she had already stood up and carried her plate to the sink. _ _

__“Aren’t you going to eat your mini-cakes?” Anakin asked half-heartedly, forcing his voice to sound light._ _

__Ahsoka forced a smile. “No. You can have mine.”_ _

__With that, she left and started down the hall._ _

__***  
It was late at night, and Ahsoka was trying to fall asleep in her small bed. Her mind wandered down an endless spiral. What if the Republic was wrong? What if they were the cruel ones in this war? After all, Ahsoka was a child and the clones were slaves. Both were forced to fight in this never ending war. _ _

__She turned over, and could see Anakin asleep in his bed across the room. He was covered in a tower of blankets, his face almost completely concealed. It was an old habit of his, she knew. He was always cold._ _

__She gently reached out through the force, trying to see if her master was still awake. She could sense him, still awake and deep in thought like she was. He turned over towards her, his eyes wide as he peeked through his blankets._ _

__“‘Soka, what are you doing. I’m trying to sleep.” He grumbled._ _

__Ahsoka blushed a little bit. She hadn’t meant to bother him, she just wanted to know if he was awake like her. “Sorry Master.”_ _

__They sat in silence for a moment, and Ahsoka turned around and faced the wall. She willed herself to fall back asleep. It was useless._ _

__“Snips, what’s up?” her master called out softly._ _

__Ahsoka turned back on her other side to face him. She sighed, emotions a whirlwind in her head. She debated on telling him it was nothing, but what she was thinking needed to be said. “Master, do you ever think about if the Republic is wrong?”_ _

__There was silence. Finally, Anakin spoke. “What do you mean?”_ _

__“Master, I was 14 when I first became a padawan. I was fighting a war, piloting star fighters, and facing some of the most dangerous people in the galaxy before I could legally pilot a speeder on Coruscant. I still can’t legally pilot a speeder on Coruscant. Don’t you think that might be, I don’t know, wrong? Cruel? Unethical?” She ranted, finally letting her thoughts spill out._ _

__Anakin shifted a little bit, uncovering part of his face. “I don’t know. I used to ask myself that all of the time. I worried for you Snips, believe it or not.” He let out a half hearted chuckle. Ahsoka knew what she meant. Anakin was a great master, but he had a tendency to be a little clingy. “Then I realized age doesn’t really matter. If someone is capable enough to save lives and help those who can’t help themselves, then isn’t it their responsibility to do so?” He paused. “I guess that might be for you to decide._ _

__“Thank you master,” Ahsoka whispered. She could feel Anakin send out a wave of comfort through the force, and she smiled. Her mind was able to rest a little bit, and she finally fell asleep._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does anyone know the Star Wars term for books? Researching it for a solid half hour and came up with nothing.
> 
> Come chat with me @kitfangirls


	7. Debate Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka has to take part in the debate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short hiatus! I was with family for a few weeks so I couldn’t find any time to write. I’m hopefully going to be back to my regular posting schedule!

Ahsoka fumbled with her stack of notecards. Each one had an organized statistic, fact, or quick reminder of a point she wanted to make. She hadn’t talked in front a class for so long. Her last presentation was years ago when she was still an initiate. The teachers at the temple had long abandoned student presentations since the war began. In most of Ahsoka’s classes, only 10 or so padawan’s were present. The rest were off fighting the war, catching up on their assignments in between battles. 

Ameel sat next to her, reoganizing her notecards. Again. Sometimes she would mumble something under her breath, but quickly gathered herself. She didn’t look nervous at all, and Ahsoka envied her for it. The togruta’s lekku were more purple than usual, and her eyes darted around the room. 

She was not prepared for this debate. She had spent the last three days on the holonet, in the temple archives, and searching through the school library. While other students seemed to spend only a few hours on their research, her days and nights were dedicated to it. She had bags under her eyes from sneaking out of her quarters to work on the assignment last night. 

She didn’t need Anakin knowing about how much she was struggling. She knew he would try and help her, when Ahsoka just needed to work through this on her own. For everyone else this was another assignment. For Ahsoka, it was a personal project to answer some questions she’d never thought she’d have to ask. 

Mr. Parat stood in front of the class, and the students slowly quieted down. He smiled, pushing up his glasses a little bit. “I hope you all prepared for this debate.” He stopped for a second while a few students nodded. “Okay then! Pro-padawan on the left and anti-padawan on the right,” he announced.

Students scrambled to their resepective sides, finding a place amaong the desks that had been reorganized to face eachother. Ahsoka found her seat, and realized quickly that only three other students were on her side. The opposition had at least three times more than them. 

Ahsoka took in a deep breath. She set her notecards out in front of her, and waited while Mr. Parat gave them a small lecture on respect. Then he turned the students away to talk with their groups. 

One human girl with red hair quickly took the lead. “Okay, does anyone have any good information?”

Ahsoka bit her bottom lip. “I think I do. I looked at some reports and only five padawans have been killed in the war so far,” she said quietly. 

Five seemed like too many, but then she looked at the number of generals that had been killed. 267. She couldn’t bring herself to look at the number of clones. It would hurt too much, thinking about how each of the men who had died were just like hers. 

The members of her group nodded and started to talk while Ahsoka blanked out for a minute. She let her thoughts wander a little more, and couldn’t help but overhear the opposition. 

_It’s awful, don’t you think?_

_Have you looked at the physiological damage that war causes on young minds?_

_I couldn’t imagine._

Her head started to spin, and she closed her eyes for a moment. She reached out like she had been taught, and let the force surround her for just a moment. It calmed her like a warm blanket after being drenched in cold water. She opened her eyes, and focused on the task at hand. 

She listened to her side craft an argument. Ahsoka hardly contributed, knowing that she might only bring them down. This wasn’t her territory. 

Mr. Parat moved to the front of the room, and the students slowly went quiet. “Okay, is everyone ready? We’re going to start with the opposition first.” 

Everyone nodded, and faced towards the middle. Ameel stood up, a small piece of flimsy at her side. She held herself with a confidence that Ahsoka could only admire. She opened her mouth and began to speak. “The Jedi religion is thousands of years old. They have been protecting the Republic and its people for almost as long as the Republic has existed. One of the fundamental principles of the Jedi is teaching the next generation.” She paused for a moment, scanning over the four defense debaters. “Jedi Padawans range between 13 and 30, and in the past accompanied their master’s on missions throughout the galaxy. These could range from peaceful discussions, to settling disputes between others and the Repbulic with a lightsaber in hand. Recently, the job of a Jedi Padawan has shifted. In the midst of the war, the teenagers have become commanders of battalions, leaders of men ready to lay down their lives. They are being thrust into battle fields day after day, dealing with a loss and burden that in incomprehensible to us. Yet, the Republic continues to let this continue,” Ameel stopped, and everyone held their breathes. They expected her to go on, continue with the same fiery glint in her eyes. Instead, she sat down. She had a smug smile on her face, looking like she had already one.

Ahsoka felt even more conflicted than before. She tried to separate herself from the situation, convincing herself she wasn’t a Jedi. It didn’t work. It was so difficult to pretend she wasn’t a Jedi when the order was her whole life. She took a deep breathe, and shoved her emotions down until she could deal with them later. It was time for their opening statement, and Ahsoka was talking. She stood up, trying to mimic the same confidence Ameel had. 

“The Jedi religion is about selflessness, something that is in short supply,” Ahsoka started, trying to maintain her composure. Everyone looked at her, waiting for her to continue. “It may seem incomprehensible to you because you aren’t the one who knows how to only think of others. For everytime they feel weighed down by their duty, a thousand lives are saved. For every time they throw themselves into danger, another thousand lives are saved. These lives are only saved because these padawans know that only they possess the power and training to save worlds. They understand that sometimes saving lives means giving up their own.” She paused for a moment, thinking about all the times she had been ready to die for the greater good. “Instead of arguing about how they could die, about how they grow up to soon, celebrate their contribution to the Repbulic. Celebrate the lives they have saved.” 

No one said anything for a few seconds, and Ahsoka hoped she had gotten the same effect Ameel had. She quickly sat down, glad that her part was over with. Some of what she had said just came out, completely unplanned. It was like the words just came out. Part of her wondered if she truly believed what she had said. 

She allowed herself to zone out, only picking up bits and pieces of the debate. To any other person in the room, she was listening intently. But Ahsoka’s mind was somewhere in the void of space. 

She quickly snapped out of it when Rylith stood up to present his argument. He narrowed his eyes at Ahsoka, and she froze a little bit. He was the only one here that knew that Ahsoka was apart of the Jedi order, so anything he said would be a direct attack on her. That obviously wasn’t going to stop him from saying anything. 

“I met a Jedi padawan once. One of the younger ones. She was 14,” he started, shifting his gaze to avoid direct eye contact with her. 

Ahsoka froze a little bit. She wanted to block him out, not listen to anything he had to say, but she couldn’t. It was like he was a siren, making her listen to every word that came out of his mouth. 

He continued, and it seemed he felt more comfortable with everyone watching him. “We were the same age. She was fresh off a battle at Geonosis, joining my family for a banquet while her battalion refueled and rested a little bit. She was fun. She told me stories, showed me her lightsabers, and I even helped her prank a few of the clones.”

Everyone was obviously enthralled by his story. During Ahsoka’s short time at the Academy, she noticed that the Coruscanti civillians were captivated by the Jedi. They listened to their stories like they were books from the grand libraries, looked up to them like they were gods. It was no surprise that everyone listened to his story with awe. 

Ahsoka wasn’t impressed. 

“She was so full of life. Despite fighting for her life just the day before, and despite the bacta patch on her arm, she had so much energy. She was smart and skilled, and loved to show off,” he paused for a second, and Ahsoka frowned. 

They had only been around eachother for a day, yet he acted like he’d known her all his life. She’d spent more time with Asajj Ventress than Rylith. Of course, her time with Ventress usually involved aggressive lightsaber battles, but that was besides the point. 

“I met her again recently. Just under two years since we’d last met, yet it was like she was 20 years older. She didn’t brag. She didn’t show off. She just did what she was told, like a trained soldier. Then it dawned on me that to the Repbulic, this 16 year old girl was nothing more than a soldier.”

Ahsoka felt rage bubble up inside of her like it never had before. Rylith continued talking. Making his point, debating, whatever you would call it, but she drowned it out. The anger in his words was so strong she could hardly hear, and by the time she could the debate had ended.

The bell rang and students stood up, quickly gathering their things. Ahsoka shoved her notecards and datapad into her bag and stomped towards Rylith. He was at his desk, slowly placing things into his bag. 

“What was that,” Ahsoka said forcefully, trying not to draw attention to herself. 

Rylith kept his face blank, devoid of emotions. “Looking at the evidence, then analyzing it to fit your side. That’s what debating is.”

Ahsoka glared at him. “Except I’m the evidence,” she huffed. “You don’t get to pick me apart like that. You don’t get to analyze the way I move or how I talk. And don’t pretend like you know me.” 

Rylith shrugged a little bit, then moved past her. Ahsoka was stunned that he just _ignored_ her. As a youngling, she was taught to never just ignore someone, and so had everyone else around her. In her chain of command, most of the people around her couldn’t ignore her. And when she wasn’t around her men, she was usually around Jedi Knights, Masters, or Senators who were much too mature to just ignore people. 

Ahsoka didn’t know how to deal with being ignored, and it took everything she had to not lift him and throw him against the wall. She took a deep breath, and decided that maybe she should forget about this. She sped up and moved past him a little bit, heading towards maths. She weaved through people in the hallway until she finally reached the wooden door and stepped inside. 

Ameel was already sitting down, a sheet of flimsy on her desk. Ahsoka sat down next to her. 

“‘Soka?” Ameel asked, using the nickname that she had recently started calling her. Ahsoka didn’t mind, it just felt weird for someone other than Master Plo to call her that. 

Ahsoka looked at her and smiled. “Yeah?” 

“A few others and I are going to the senate building after school. Sometimes it’s fun to stop by and say hello to the people we know, establish connections and everything. Would you like to come? If you have a senate chip, of course,” she asked politely. 

Ahsoka was hoping she could move quickly and watch the last half of the clone rights debate that was happening, but remembered the mission was more important. Besides, her master would probably watch it. He could catch her up, and would probably update the troopers of anything important. 

“That sounds great! My parents will probably let me go,” Ahsoka said, followed by the small lie at the end. 

Ameel looked genuinely happy, then leaned in towards the togruta. “You’ll just have to put up with Wanta. Her parents are friends with Senator Amidala and she loves to point it out.”

Ahsoka laughed a little bit, then realized that this might be a mistake. What if a senator she knew saw her and exposed her? Of course, the only two senators she was close with were Padmé and Senator Chuchi, and both knew about this mission. 

The rest of class went by smoothly. Ahsoka and Rylith both danced around the debate, choosing to ignore what happened in favor of actually talking about it. While the Jedi longed to give him a piece of her mind, she was willing to play his game. So she flirted with him a few times turning class, trying to maintain the happy couple persona. 

She sent Anakin a quick message that she didn’t need to be picked up, and hoped he saw it.

***

The group of ten or so teenagers walked through the main entrance of the senate building. They all seemed so comfortable, but Ahsoka felt out of place. She usually had someone familiar at her side that guided her through the hallways. They walked in towards the main senate offices, an area that was a little more familiar to Ahsoka. 

Her and Rylith had fallen towards the back of the group. She comfortably grasped his hand as she examined the walls. It appeared that the debate had finished, because there were a fair amount of senators milling around the hallway. Some talked, while others headed back towards their offices. Ahsoka and her group blend in pretty well in the crowded hallway. 

They walked past dozens of identical offices, until they passed a larger door. Everyone knew that the Chancellor’s large office chambers lay beyond it, and Ahsoka stared for a moment. 

“I always wondered what was behind those doors. His office has to be beautiful,” Rylith said quietly. 

Ahsoka snorted. “There’s red chairs, another door, two guards, and an office pretty much like everyone else’s.”

Rylith turned and looked at her. “You _know_ the Chancellor?”

Ahsoka sighed. “My master and him are-,” she paused for a moment, searching for the right word. “Close. I know the red chairs outside of his office like the back of my hand.”  
Rylith still looked shocked and impressed. “What do you mean?”

“Most of my conversations where the Chancellor is present go like this,” she paused and cleared her throat. Then she changed her voice to make it sound different, a poor attempt to mimic the Chancellor. “Anakin, my dear boy, won’t you come inside.” 

Rylith laughed a little bit, and Ahsoka decided to continue. 

“Then the Chancellor glares at me like I murdered his loth cat,” Ahsoka narrated. “Then my master goes: Hey snips, why don’t you wait out here while I talk to the Chancellor. And then I sit on those stupid chairs for three hours.”

He was full on laughing at this point. Ahsoka laughed a little bit too, proud of her short, but accurate, narration. 

“So, your master spends a lot of time with the Chancellor?”

“Yeah,” she paused, suddenly noticing Anakin’s presence beyond those doors. “He’s in there right now, actually.”

“Wait, how do you know that?”

“I can sense him,” she said blatantly. Rylith clearly looked confused, so she decided to continue. “Jedi can sense every living thing, but I connect with certain people more. Like my master and I have a training bond. It’s strong, and we can use it to talk to each other. I can also sense if he’s in distress or not, no matter where he is. He can do the same to me.” 

Rylith looked at her in amazement. “Like, telepathy?” 

Ahsoka shrugged. “I guess. I have weaker bonds with some of my men and a few other Jedi.”

“So, not only can you move stuff with your mind, you can sense living things and have telepathy with your master?”

“I can also control people’s thoughts.”

“Wait, I thought that was a myth.” 

“It’s not. It only works on some, but it works.”

There was a short silence, then the pair continued down the hallway. They followed the others through the halls of the senate building, occasionally stepping into offices to chat with senators. It wasn’t very exciting. While the politicians to-be loved talking with the older senators, Ahsoka was bored. She tried to look at least a little bit engaged, and she hoped no one could tell she had pretty much no interest in politics. She knew enough to get by, but she liked to leave it to the senators. 

The group continued walking through the hallway. Ahsoka stared at her feet, bored of seeing senator after senator. After what felt like hours of this charade, she felt a familiar presence. Her head shot up. She couldn’t quite sense who it was, because they were too far away and the hallway was so crowded, but she could tell they were getting closer. 

“Senator Amidala,” Ahsoka could hear Wanta announce smugly. “Its nice to see you again.”

Ahsoka saw the senator, looking regal as always, and Anakin by her side. She wasn’t surprised. Her master usually visited the senator when he got bored. He also looked a little annoyed at being stopped in the hallway, until he looked up and met her eyes. 

He gave her a smug smile, which Ahsoka returned. 

“Ahsoka! Is that you?” Padmé called out. 

Ahsoka smiled and pushed past a few other students. She let go of Rylith’s hand, but he followed her to the front of the small clump of students. “Padmé!” She responded, jumping into the senators open arms. 

“I didn’t know you would be here! You should’ve commed. I’d never pass down a chance to see you,” Padmé said after Ahsoka pulled away. 

Ahsoka gave her a small smile. “I didn’t really think about it.”  
Ahsoka turned towards Anakin, and noticed that the Jedi was currently scanning Rylith. He looked at the teenager with disapproval, crossing his arms and staring at him sternly. He finally looked away, and smiled at Ahsoka. 

“Snips! Long time no see,” he said smiling a little bit. 

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. “You too, General Skywalker.”

He nodded a little bit, trying not to expose how familiar they really were. “I promised a few of the men they could talk to the senator about the new bill. We should probably get going.”

The pair smiled at the group, and moved past them. Ahsoka guessed they were heading for the main hangar where Anakin usually parked his speeder. 

“You know Senator Amidala?” Ameel asked with a little bit of amazement. 

Ahsoka hadn’t realized that Padmé was such a figure in the senate, but wasn’t very surprised. For the amount of times the senator was thrown into danger, or almost killed, she would have to be above many of the other senators. 

Ahsoka pursed her lips, then smiled a little bit. “Yeah. She’s a pretty good friend of mine.”

“And you know a Jedi!” A boy she could just barely recognize added. “That’s pretty cool.”

She forced another smile. “Um, General Skywalker has helped my family out a lot in the past. He taught me a lot of what I know.” 

Everyone stared at her, and she realized what she said. “About fighting, of course,” She quickly finished. 

The group of teenagers quickly turned back to their discussions, and Ahsoka let out a sigh of relief she didn’t know she’d been holding in. 

***

It was late, and normally Ahsoka would’ve been in bed or finishing up an assignment. But Barriss had come back from a campaign a few hours ago, and was finally free. 

Ahsoka walked down the hallways of the Jedi Temple, weaving through them until she found the entrance to the quiet garden she and Barriss planned on meeting in. It was dark, and a few dim lanterns cast shadows over the little garden. Ahsoka walked down a dirt path, taking in the fresh smell of the flowers. 

She spotted Barriss’s figure sitting on a bench, and picked up her pace to meet her. “Barris!” She called out. 

The elder padawan turned around and smiled. “Ahsoka!” She stood up and moved towards her, and they met in the middle and wrapped their arms around each other. 

“I missed you so much. I was getting bored without someone to talk to,” Ahsoka said, still holding onto her friend. 

Barriss sighed. “Me too. That campaign was never ending. I thought that I would be in the outer rim forever.”

“Tell me about it,” Ahsoka mumbled. “The only reason they brought us back is because my master was getting a little reckless.”

“And you had an undercover mission,” Barriss added, smiling a little bit. She obviously wanted to know more. 

Ahsoka frowned. “It’s- it’s going good.”

Barriss studied Ahsoka for a moment. “No it’s not.”

The togruta let out an exasperated sigh of relief. Barriss was one of the only people she felt like she could openly share her feelings with. She’d been yearning for this conversation for weeks, wishing her best friend was there to help her through it. “It’s going awful. They keep talking about the Jedi doing this and the Jedi doing that and I feel like I lose myself a little bit more everyday,” she rambled. 

“Oh, Ahsoka.” Barriss moved closer, and Ahsoka realized that warm tears were dripping down her face. 

“I’m sorry,” Ahsoka said, letting out a weak laugh. 

They sat in silence for a moment, and she waited for her tears to dry. “Barriss, do you ever think the Jedi are doing the wrong thing?”

Barriss turned towards her. “What do you mean?”

“I was 14 went they sent me out to the front lines. I’ve killed people. Sure, they were separatists and bounty hunters trying to kill me. But isn’t that wrong?” Ahsoka started. “We’re Jedi. We’re supposed to keep the peace.”

Barriss didn’t respond, but the absence of her response was enough to know she felt the same way. It was difficult, talking about the flaws in the order that was their life. So they didn’t talk about it, and instead sat in silence in the garden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we’re going to really get into the plot and it will get a little heavy (if it hasn’t been already lol). Come chat with me on tumblr at kitfangirls!


	8. Kriffing Stupid Teenage Parties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka gets drunk. Ameel gets drunk. Rylith gets drunk. Then Ahsoka gets hungover and cries. 
> 
> Warnings: Underage drinking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I wrote the first two thirds of this chapter while sobbing for two and a half hours after watching Romeo and Juliet. Then I wrote the last third while sobbing about random crap while listening to Harry Styles. 100% of this was written after midnight. I hope you enjoy.

“Ugh, this is kriffing stupid!” Ahsoka sighed, then fell back onto one of the empty bunks. 

Rex was across from her on another bunk, typing away at a datapad. He hardly looked up at her, focused on whatever he was doing. Fives was on the bunk above him, playing a game of cards with Echo. Kix was reading something on another bunk. 

Ahsoka had decided it might be a good idea to come down to the clone barracks. She hadn’t seen her men in a while, which was really a few days but it felt like longer. While they sat and wasted their time, although Rex was doing something important, Ahsoka worked on homework. 

Ahsoka huffed again. “When will anyone ever need to find the volume of a cylinder?”

“Maybe they’ll come across a cylinder and need to figure out its volume?” Fives said slowly. 

The group gave him a look. “That was the dumbest thing you’ve said in a while,” Echo muttered, his voice dripping with disappointment. 

“I don’t know about that. I’ve heard him say some pretty stupid things recently.” Kix added, looking up from his book for a moment. 

Ahsoka’s comm blinked, and she glared at it. The clones all looked at her, waiting for her to answer. Instead, she let out a sigh once she realized who it was. 

She switched the setting to voice, and pressed the button to answer. “Ameel?”

There was a short pause, but then Ameel’s Coruscanti accent filled the room. “‘Soka? I was wondering if you wanted to go to Deyto’s with me tonight. His parents are gone and he’s having a party.”

Ahsoka’s heart sank. She had been hoping to spend her off day night with Anakin and Obi-Wan. The two had promised a short sparring lesson, and her and her master were planning on catching the newest episode of the holoshow they had been watching. Apparently, it had to wait. 

“Who else is going to be there?” Ahsoka asked reluctantly. 

Ameel’s voice filled the room again. “Deyto, obviously. Then Wanta, Shri, Callid, and pretty much the entire upper school.” The girl paused for a second. “Oh, and Rylith,” she said the last part with a mocking flourish, and Ahsoka blushed. 

She tried not to focus on the clones who had started paying more attention to her. “Sounds fun! I”ll be there.” 

She ended the conversation, and could hardly take a breath before Five’s started to interrogate her. 

“Whose Rylith?” He said, one eyebrow up. 

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. “Just a kid from the Academy.”

Rex narrowed his eyes at her. “He sounds like more than just a kid from the Academy.” 

It was an understatement to say the clones were overprotective. There had been times where men had made remarks about her appearance on some planets, and her brothers had always been quick to pounce on the unfortunate soul. She didn’t quite know how they would react if they found out about her small secret. To be honest, she didn’t know how anyone would react.

Before they could question her anymore, she took off from the barracks to head back to the temple.

***  
Anakin had been busy tonight, for one reason or another, so Ahsoka found herself parking the small airspeeder at a nearby lot. She was going to walk the rest of the way to Deyto’s apartment, hoping to not draw attention to herself with the speeder. 

She walked on the sidewalk, blending in with the late night crowd bobbing in and out of shops and restaurants. No one paid her any mind, and it was refreshing. Usually when she was out and about during Coruscant with Anakin or Obi-Wan, one of the two was recognized. The media didn’t hesitate to throw heroic Jedi into the spotlight, and unfortunately her masters got the most of it. Sometimes it bothered her that she was rarely acknowledged, but now she counted it as a small mercy. 

She neared the entrance to the large apartment complex. It was tall and glittering, but paled in comparison to Republica 500. While Deyto’s family likely held a high position, they weren’t senators. That was clear enough given his brash personality. 

She entered the large lobby. It was completed with a glittering chandelier and a plush red carpet, but she wasn’t here to stop and admire the interior design. She quickly started for the lift, and gave the small droid inside the floor number she was looking for. It responded with a small whir, and soon they were going up. 

Ahsoka tapped her foot, trying to focus. She was on a mission, and while this mission was complicated, it was still a mission. It wasn’t much different from Ryloth, Christophsis, Felucia, Geonosis, and the Citadel. The angsty teenagers were droids, teachers tactical droids, and Ameel was some Seperatist leader while her parents were Dooku or Grievous. Scratch that, this was _nothing_ like her usual missions. And that’s what scared her the most. 

The lift door opened, and Ahsoka was immediately greeted by music and laughter. The lights were dimmed, but small colored ones were projected onto the ceiling. There was food on a few tables, and students draped over couches. A large amount were in the center of the main room dancing to a song she vaguely recognized. 

She was not prepared for this. 

She scanned the crowd until she saw Ameel standing in a circle with a few other girls. Ahsoka walked toward the girl, hoping that she might catch her eye. Ameel hadn’t seen her, and the togruta panicked a little bit. She didn’t want to have to tap her on the shoulder and make it awkward, so instead she decided to give the teenager a small nudge. She reached out with the force just a little bit, and made the suggestion that she should look up. She listened, and the two made eye contact. 

“‘Soka!” Ameel shouted, waving her hand. “I didn’t know if you would come.” 

“Wouldn’t want to miss this!” Ahsoka lied, forcing a small smile. She gestured to the room around her. Sure, it looked fun. The last time she had truly ‘partied,’ as the citizens of Coruscant called it, was when the clones had snuck her into 79’s. She’d had one drink before someone recognized her, commed Rex, and then Fives had been put on cleaning for a month. That was different, though. She was with people she was close to. Her friends. But this room was full of strangers who knew close to nothing about her. 

Ahsoka could sense something coming up behind her, and turned around just before Rylith could scare her. 

“Kriff. I was trying to sneak up on you.” Rylith sighed. 

Ameel and all her friends laughed at the comment, and Ahsoka gave him a small smile. She tapped her montrals. “I could hear you.” 

Rylith rolled his eyes. “Guess I need to work on my stealth.” 

He gave her a goofy smile, and Ahsoka responded with the same. She was about to open her mouth to say something, but then Ameel’s hand grasped her own. 

“Come on! Let’s go dance,” the teen girl shouted, obviously a little tipsy. Ameel didn’t seem like one to drink, considering it was illegal here on Coruscant, but Ameel was pretty difficult to read. Full of surprises, one could say. 

Ahsoka followed her into the heart of the mass of sweaty bodies. Everyone was jumping up and down, and she blindly followed the beat. It felt natural for a moment, but then quickly became uncomfortable. It was hot and there were too many strangers. 

Ahsoka pushed her way out of the crowd and moved towards the kitchen area. It was a little less crowded. She slid into a stool, and stared at the stone counter. It was almost some sort of mediation, and in letting her mind fall into a comfortable trance. She remembered she was supposed to be watching Ameel. 

Her head whipped upwards, and she scanned the crowd. Ameel was still jumping up and down to the rhythm, smiling and laughing. It made Ahsoka smile. There was something a little off about Ameel. While she seemed perfectly normal and happy, there was always a subtle hint of stress, sadness, or worry in her. Right now, it was completely absent. 

Although maybe that was the alcohol. 

Ahsoka turned to a small section of the counter where a few bottles of bubbly sat. It was the good stuff, Ahsoka could tell, and she also couldn’t quite resist. Sometimes her master let her have a little bit at fancy banquets, or when they had dinner with Padmé. Surely he wouldn’t mind if she had a glass or two. 

Ahsoka poured some in a cup and began to nonchalantly sip on it. It only took a few moments for her to feel a little relaxed, and she welcomed the sensation. She quickly drank two more glasses. She made small talk with a few of Ameel’s friends, and found her way back to the stool a few moments later. 

_Just one more cup,_ she told herself, pouring another glass of bubbly. 

She was busy watching the stream of pale liquid flow into the cup, the small bubbles mesmerizing her in a way they might mesmerize a youngling. She hardly noticed Deyto coming up behind her. 

“Hey, you,” he barked. 

Ahsoka was a little startled, and turned around. He was angry. She could tell. How he clenched his glass, the way his jaw set, the fire in his eyes. And she had an awful feeling she was going to get the brunt of his anger. 

Deyto took a sip of his drink, which was definitely not bubbly. It smelled disgusting, for starters, and also had a yellowish brown tint. “Aren’t you the togruta who thought they could beat me.” 

Ahsoka smirked. “I did beat you.” 

That didn’t help. Deyto’s fire eyes burned a little brighter, and he clenched his fist a little tighter. “What did you say?”

Ahsoka knew she should stop and turn away. The Jedi were supposed to avoid conflict, not create it. But she wasn’t quite a Jedi at this moment, and watching Deyto’s face get more red was amusing. So maybe she could keep this up for a little bit longer. “I beat you, did I not? I pinned you down,” she paused for a moment, then gave him a smug look. “I won.” 

The last two words seemed to infuriate the teen, and he didn’t hesitate to leap at Ahsoka. She didn’t hesitate to move aside, causing him to crash into the counter full of glasses and drinks. A few glasses broke, and tiny shards spilled to the ground. Deyto sat in the middle, a few of the pieces caught in his fingers. One had cut a small line onto his chin, but he seemed mostly uninjured. 

Everyone turned towards him. The boy’s face had gone red, and Ahsoka stepped aside to avoid the attention. Partygoers began to whisper to each other, and Deyto looked drunk and dazed. 

Ahsoka felt a little bit bad. He shouldn’t have lunged at her, which was wrong no matter where you came from, but she shouldn’t have used her abilities to her advantage. She was about to step forward and help him up, but he turned towards her instead. 

“I hate you,” he said quietly, just loud enough Ahsoka could hear him. His voice was venomous, seething with anger. “I hate you so much.” 

Ahsoka pursed her lips for a moment. She had hardly spoken to Deyto. Maybe embarrassed him once or twice, but she didn’t think it would bother someone this much. A few sour encounters had led him to hate her so much. He wasn’t lying, either. She could feel his anger and all of it was directed at her. 

She looked at him. “I’m sorry.” Then she turned away. He clearly didn’t want her help, and one of the things she had learned from being a Jedi was not to force help on people. Her master had taught her that a long time ago, and she always tried to remember it. But she hated walking away. It was something she was never meant to do. 

Ahsoka wandered towards a balcony where the city lights faintly provided some light. It was quiet and empty, and the lights inside were getting too loud. Her glass was still in her hand, and she took one last swig to finish it off. She was feeling a little looser after a few drinks, but knew she would regret it in the morning. 

Parties were stupid, she decided. She didn’t understand how this was any fun. Just wandering around and getting drunk with a bunch of people you either hardly knew or only half liked. It was pretty kriffing stupid. 

Rylith appeared next to her, leaning against the railing of the balcony a few feet away. He was drunk, like most of the other kids here. Ahsoka could tell by the way he walked, and how he leaned on the railing for support. 

The boy took a deep breath of air. “I don’t like parties very much.”

He could’ve read her mind. 

“Me too,” Ahsoka started, then realized that Rylith knew she was a Jedi. She could loosen her tongue around him. “I was supposed to be watching a holodrama tonight and sparring with my masters.”

“Sounds boring.”

“Not really,” she shrugged. “I don’t get much time to sit down and rest. Always one place to another, cramming some sleep in between.” She peeled some paint off the railing. 

Rylith scoffed, and Ahsoka glanced at him with surprise. “You’re really annoying, you know that?” Rylith fired, his words slurred. 

He had obviously had too much to drink. And normally Ahsoka would’ve ignored him, just rolled her eyes and walked away, but she was a little tipsy herself. She looked at him and smirked. “I annoy a lot of people. What about me gets you?” Ahsoka asked, her signature snippy tone sprinkled in the phrase. 

Rylith rolled his eyes. “You think you know so much. You think you have so much experience and that you’ve seen so much.” He paused for a moment, and turned towards Ahsoka. “But guess what? This war affects me too. I’ve seen stuff too. I can’t go home because my parents are worried it’s dangerous and there is a war going on in my system. But you don’t seem to care about that, only about the fact that you’ve fought in the war and have seen so many awful things.” Rylith said, using a mocking tone near the end. He finished his rant. 

She started at him, and blinked. “Did you _actually_ just say that?”

Rylith glared at her, and Ahsoka laughed. 

“I’m so sorry that you got sent away from your home for a year or two to attend the best school in the galaxy while others don’t have any food, water or safety. While other people become slaves to the Separatists or die trying to fight it.” Ahsoka felt her emotions start to get the better of her, but instead of pushing them away, she welcomed them. “I’m so sorry that while you sit here in the comfort of your fancy apartment while there are men fighting on the front lines. Men dying on the front lines while people like me have to watch them die! And people like me have to fail at saving them over and over again.”

A tear found its way down her cheek, and she quickly wiped it away. She hadn’t cried since she was a youngling, and she choked down any remaining tears. She turned away from Rylith, suddenly embarrassed. She shouldn’t cry, 

“I’m sorry,” Ahsoka said weakly.

Rylith just glanced at her. “No, I’m sorry. I kind of forgot that the galaxy is bigger than Coruscant.”

There was a short silence, and another tear found its way down her cheek. She wiped it away, trying to regain control of her emotions again. But once she had let them loose, they were so hard to bring back in. And with the throbbing headache that was starting to form, she felt like throwing herself on her bunk and sobbing. 

Ahsoka turned away from the balcony, finally breaking her eyes away from the lights. “I’m going to go back to the temple.”

Rylith didn’t respond. 

***  
Ahsoka sat on the floor of the ‘fresher while Anakin brought her a cup of water and a small painkiller. She graciously accepted both, and quickly swallowed the pill. 

Anakin sat next to her while she slumped over, trying to conceal her face from him. She didn’t need him knowing that she had lost control for a moment. That she was still losing control. 

“Just try not to get drunk again, okay Snips?” Anakin said softly, rubbing Ahsoka’s back while she threw up into the toilet.

Ahsoka tried to roll her eyes. “I wasn’t drunk. Tipsy, maybe.” 

Anakin laughed a little bit. “Snips, tipsy is when you have a glass or two of bubbly during dinner and then go to work the next day. You got drunk.” 

Ahsoka buried her head in her hands. How did she let this happen? She was a Jedi, yet she had drank her feelings at some stupid teen party. She was supposed to control her emotions, release them into the force, not drown them with a glass of bubbly. 

“I’m sorry,” she whimpered, her voice barely above a whisper. 

Anakin’s face shifted from amusement to sympathy. “Snips, don’t worry about it. Happens to the best of us.”

Ahsoka threw up again, disposing of everything she had eaten during the day. She lifted her head and quickly wiped it off with a rag. Her eyes were watery and her throat stung. Her head throbbed like it had just been trampled by a herd of bantha, and she wanted more than anything that to go to sleep. 

Anakin examined her for a moment. “You’ve got something in your cheek.” 

Ahsoka reached up to the area he was pointing at and picked out a small shard of glass. She stared at it for a moment. Apparently she hadn’t escaped Deyto’s breakdown unscathed. 

Anakin stood up and went to find a small bacta patch to stop the bleeding where the shard had been. Ahsoka held her hand to the spot, embracing the sting of it and trying to stop the blood. This night was turning out wonderful. First, she wasn’t able to watch the newest episode of her and Anakin’s favorite show. He had said he didn’t watch it and they would watch a rerun together later, but she knew that was a lie. Then she had gotten attacked by an angsty adolescent, and then drank her feelings away. Now she was throwing up into the toilet of their ridiculously small refresher and trying not to bleed out from a cut in her cheek. 

Okay, maybe she was being a little over dramatic but this night had kriffing sucked. 

Anakin returned, a small patch in hand. He quickly knelt down and placed it on Ahsoka’s cheek while she tried to hold still. Then he sat back and faced her. “How’d you get glass in your cheek?”

Ahsoka sighed. “This kid lunged at me and ended up crashing into the table of glasses. A shard must’ve flown at my face.” 

Anakin pursed his lips. The two sat in silence for a long moment while Ahsoka puked one more time. Then, she started to cry. 

The Jedi Knight looked a little shocked as his padawan attempted to hold back tears. He didn’t know what to do at first, but then decided it would be best to move a little closer to let her know that he was there for her. “Ahsoka, I don’t know what’s going on.” 

Ahsoka looked up at him, tears in her eyes. She looked exasperated and conflicted, her ocean blue eyes filled with worry. He sighed. 

“I don’t expect you to tell me either.”

She looked the slightest bit relieved, and it unsettled him. He didn’t want his padawan to keep things from him. They were a team, two halves of one whole. But he also couldn’t expect her to open up about everything. He knew he hadn’t opened up to Obi-Wan about everything. 

He looked her straight in the eye. “But remember, you have people here for you. People who care about you. Me, Obi-Wan, Master Plo, and any of the troops. We all just want to help you. Okay?”

She nodded a little bit, wiping a tear from her cheek. 

“Never forget that.” He said it a little more softly, but the impact was the same. Ahsoka jumped at him, embracing him in a hug. He was a little bit startled at first, but responded by embracing her back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and Comments are always appreciated! Come chat with me on tumblr @kitfangirls (I’m too lazy to link it. Sue me.) Updated posting schedule: every Wednesday because posting on the weekends is an awful idea.


	9. Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ameel meets Ahsoka’s ‘family’ and the plot thickens. 
> 
> Tw: referenced child abuse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! I have a long chapter to make up for it.

Ahsoka needed caf, but woke up a little later and was in a hurry to get out the door. Before the war, caf was forbidden for the padawans and initiates, but now Ahsoka was regularly fighting a war on less than 6 hours of sleep. When she went to school she may not have been fighting droids, but it was a battle nonetheless. 

She sat in her History of the Republic class, waiting for Ameel to show up. Usually the young diplomat was the earliest one here, but class was set to start in just a minute and she still hadn’t arrived. Something was wrong, but Ahsoka was too tired to focus on it.

The door opened just as the bell rang, and Ameel rushed into class. All of the students looked at her as she clutched a datapad and packet of flimsy, her eyes wide like a lothcat in speeder lights. She quickly moved to her desk. 

Ahsoka could tell something was wrong the moment the girl entered the room. Her hair was messily thrown into a singular braid down her back, and she wore a simple long white shirt and black skirt. It would’ve looked cute, except the white shirt was noticeably yellowing. She had leggings that covered up her legs, and almost her entire body was concealed. 

It was confusing. Ameel complained about being hot on a regular basis, citing that she was from Katfari and the weather was much cooler there. Ahsoka examined her, then noticed a small bruise on her collarbone. She pursed her lips, a little bit confused. 

The teacher moved to the front of the class and started rambling about a senate bill that had supposedly ‘shaped the Republic’ 200 years ago, and Ahsoka leaned towards her friend. 

“What happened to your shoulder?” Ahsoka asked, trying to seem as innocent as possible.

Ameel looked panicked for just a moment, then collected herself. It wasn’t fast enough for Ahsoka to not catch on, though. “I accidentally hit it on my bookshelf this morning.” 

Ahsoka knew she was lying. The force screamed whenever someone consciously lied. But Ameel clearly had no interest in sharing, so she dropped it and turned back to her datapad. 

***

It was lunch, and Ahsoka decided on a sandwich today. She sat at the circular table with her ‘friends’ and absentmindedly listened to their conversation. Ameel was still getting her food, so the seat next to her was empty. She didn’t mind, though. She had a moment alone with her thoughts. Not that anything interesting was happening in her mind. She just couldn’t stop thinking about how she’d been on this kriffing mission for five weeks. Anakin had been spending his time escorting senators to and from negotiations and aiding the Coruscant Guard, but Ahsoka was dying to do something. 

She’d been here for five weeks and the only thing she’d noticed was a call that Ameel had with her father. She was silently praying that they would pull the mission soon. She would go back to her life, and the students would go back to there’s. Maybe they would wonder where she went. Maybe they would see her on the holonet for a brief moment. Maybe Ahsoka would see them years from now in the Senate building after she’d be knighted. 

Or maybe they’d all just forget each other. 

Ahsoka mindlessly took a bite of her sandwich, using her other hand to cradle her head. Ameel came and sat down, sliding into the seat next to her. 

Ameel remained silent, and Ahsoka examined her. The young senator was always the center of the conversation, but she seemed to be stuck in her own thoughts at the moment. Her emotions were relatively easy to read. She wasn’t force sensitive so she couldn’t shield. But every time Ahsoka tried to glance inside her mind, they were a whirlwind that gave Ahsoka a headache. It reminded her of Anakin when he got angry or upset and all of his emotions were souped together. 

Ahsoka was about to open her mouth to ask Ameel something, but the girl beat her to it. 

“‘Soka,” she said weakly. “Could I come over to your apartment tonight? My parents have meetings and I need some help with some of the battle strategies for our test this week.”

Somewhere in there Ameel was lying, and Ahsoka couldn’t help but be suspicious. But the teenager knew close to nothing about the togruta, so the reason she needed to come over to her house after school had no ill intentions. Ahsoka pursed her lips in worry. She couldn’t pass up this opportunity to possibly gain a little bit of information on her. She would figure out the details later, considering she couldn’t take her back to the Jedi Temple. 

Ahsoka smiled. “Of course!”

Ameel forced a smile in response, and whispered a small thank you.

“I have to go call my parents and let them know you’re coming,” Ahsoka said, then moved towards the courtyard. 

Once she had finally made her way to a quiet corner outside, she pulled out her small commlink and contacted Anakin. It took him a moment to pick up, but eventually, he did. 

“What’s up, Snips,” he said nonchalantly, looking bored. 

Ahsoka smiled a little bit at the familiar nickname. “Okay, the Farrow girl asked if she could come over to my apartment to study and stuff, but I think there might be something else going on. So, I said yes. But that’s a problem because I don’t have an apartment,” she rambled. “I don’t know what to do.”

Anakin looked a little bit annoyed, and Ahsoka bit her lip. It looked like he was thinking, and then he responded. “We were going to have dinner at Senator Amidala’s tonight anyways, so you can just say that you’re parents are gone and you’re staying with Padmé. Bring her over there.” Anakin suggested. 

Ahsoka smiled. “Okay, that sounds good.”

“I’ll comm Padmé.”

Ahsoka nodded and ended the transmission. She stood up and headed back towards the lunch room, where Ameel was still sitting silently. 

“Sov my parents had to go to an emergency meeting on Scipio, and I’m staying with Senator Amidala. But she said it’s alright if we go over there. You can stay for dinner too,” Ahsoka explained, sliding into her seat.

Ameel looked relieved. “Thank you. I’ve been so worried about the test.” 

Ahsoka smiled. “No problem.” 

***

Someone picked the two girls up from school. Ahsoka was pretty sure he was one of Padmé’s guards. The man had tanned skin and short brown hair. He wore a uniform similar to Captain Typho, whom she had worked with several times. 

They slid into the back seat of the four person speeder, and both of the girls muttered small thanks. Ahsoka buckled her restraint and Ameel followed, and soon they were flying above the city. 

Ahsoka watched the speeders below and above her, savoring the bustle of Coruscant. She knew she would miss this once she returned to the outer rim where very few of the planets were comfortable. Most were either extremely wet or unbearably dry. 

Soon enough, they pulled into the landing platform of Padmé’s apartment at Republica 500. Ahsoka spared a quick glance over at Ameel, who seemed relatively comfortable. She must live here, too. Although with the seemingly endless expanse of floors, it was a mystery where. 

Padmé quickly rushed out onto the balcony to greet the girls. Ahsoka had to resist the urge to leap over the edge of the speeder and run out to her. Instead, she opened the door and slid out. Then she rushed towards her friend. 

The two embraced each other for a moment, then pulled away. “It’s good to see you, Padmé,” Ahsoka exclaimed. It was true. The two hadn’t seen each other since the small run in at the senate building, and even before that the last time they had a genuine conversation was when they went shopping.

“You too, Ahsoka,” Padmé responded warmly. Then she looked up at Ameel and smiled. “You must be Ameel.”

Ameel moved forwards with grace and shook the senators hand. “Senator Amidala. Thank you so much for letting me come over.” 

Padmé smiled. “Padmé, please. And it’s no problem.”

The girl smiled, and Ahsoka led her into the main sitting area. “We can work on some stuff over here,” Ahsoka explained, throwing her bag onto one of the couches. Padmé’s apartment was like a second home to her. She tried to give her and Anakin their alone time, but she couldn’t help but love the plush couches and beautiful paintings on the walls. Besides, Padmé was a decent cook and made amazing dinners. 

Ameel mumbled a quick thank you and carefully placed her bag on the couch. Ahsoka started walking mindlessly towards the kitchen to get something to eat, and the other girl followed closely behind. They finally made it to the large pantry. 

Ahsoka grabbed some bantha jerky and suddenly remembered Ameel was there. “Do you want something to eat? There’s some biscuits, fruit, nuts, and some weird pudding stuff.” 

Ameel looked at her. “I’ll just have a Jogan fruit, please.”

Ahsoka responded with a small smile. Ameel was ever the polite one, and the togruta softly tossed her a fruit. 

Padmé had disappeared into her office, finishing up some notes on a senate bill or something like that. That left the two girls to work on their homework, and study for the huge test later that week. 

They sat on the couch while Ahsoka tried to explain some of the questions to her friend, but Ameel seemed to be struggling. 

“What’s one of the things that’s difficult about facing a droid army,” Ahsoka asked, praying Ameel might get this one after they read a small passage. 

Ameel pursed her lips. “The size of the armies can be overwhelming?”

Ahsoka tried not to frown, and forced a small smile instead. “That’s close. One of the things that soldiers and Jedi have to plan for is that tactical droids analyze tactics and can often plan for predictable moves. You have to be unpredictable and spontaneous to get past them.” 

Ameel looked frustrated. “I don’t even know why I bothered to sign up for this class.” She moved her book aside a little bit. “I’m awful at it. I’m going to fail the test. My parents are going to kill me.” She buried her head in her hands and Ahsoka tensed up. She didn’t know what to do. 

Thankfully, Padmé came out. The two girls looked at her, and Ameel seemed to instantly calm down. “I’m going to start Dinner. General Skywalker will be joining us, so maybe he can help you two with your work.” Padmé said. She had changed her clothes at some point, and was now wearing a more simple dress. 

Ahsoka frowned. “General Skywalker?”

Padmé smiled at her, trying to pretend like everything was normal. “He’s been off planet for a few days, so I thought he might like a change of scenery. Besides, we’re old friends and I’ve been looking to catch up with him.”

Ahsoka smirked a little bit. Old friends with playing their relationship down.

Ameel sighed. “Hopefully he can help me. If a General can’t help me with battle tactics, I don’t know who can.”

Ahsoka felt a little offended for a moment, and opened her mouth to say something about her being a Commander, but stopped herself. It would be foolish to blow her cover over something so stupid. She would just have to let her master win for now. 

Ahsoka forced a small smile. “Okay, let’s do an easy one. When did the clone wars officially begin.”

Ameel rolled her eyes. “After the first Battle of Geonosis.”

“At least you got that one.” 

Ameel chuckled a little bit, and glanced towards the hallway. “Should we help the Senator with dinner?” 

“That’s a good idea.” Ahsoka said, standing up and neatly stacking some books. “We can finish after dinner?”

Ameel nodded, and the two started down the hallway towards the kitchen. 

You could smell the seasoning from a mile away. Ahsoka knew what Padmé was cooking, and her stomach started to rumble. She was making roasted Rigsti, which was a traditional Nubian meal. It was also Ahsoka and Anakin’s favorite thing to eat. The tenderness of the meat, the way the seasoning had just the smallest bit of spice. 

“It smells amazing,” Ameel observed. 

“It tastes even better.” Ahsoka added. 

The two girls walked into the kitchen, where Padmé was kneading a little bit of bread. She looked up and smiled at them. “Did you two finish?”

Ahsoka casually leaned against one of the counters while Ameel stood in the doorway. “We thought we’d take a break from homework and help you with dinner.”

“At least until General Skywalker gets here. I have a few things he can probably explain for me,” Ameel interjected. 

Ahsoka resisted the urge to roll her eyes, and Padmé gave her a little smirk. 

The senator sighed and brushed her forehead, leaving a small smear of flour. “If you could stir the vegetables that’d be great. And someone needs to chop the mushrooms.”

Ahsoka gave her a mischievous smirk. “I can help with the scones.”

“Like I’d let you do that after what happened last time. You ate half the ingredients. Go sauté the vegetables.” 

Ahsoka frowned and moved towards the vegetables. 

The three girls moved around the kitchen, stirring bowls and placing pans in the oven. A little bit of chatter was present, and Ahsoka found the familiarity of the situation comfortable. The way she quickly swiped a bit of the scone dough and Padmé frowned at her, or she flicked a bit of flour in her direction. 

When Anakin walked down the hall, she almost casually tackled him to the ground or threw a spoon at him. But she had to restrain herself in Ameel’s presence, so she gave him a small smile 

Anakin comfortably strode over to a small stool, and before he could say anything, Padmé scolded him. 

“No sabers in the kitchen,” she said shortly.

Anakin frowned. “But I need my lightsaber!” He whined. 

Padmé rolled her eyes. “Last time you came for dinner, you and your padawan decided to try cutting a jogan fruit with a lightsaber and scorched the walls. I had to have it repainted. Leave it outside the kitchen.”

“But what if I need to protect you?”

“Protect me?”

Anakin gave her a grin. “Like when I was a padawan, or when Grievous captured your, or when Clovis got you put in jail. Or on Naboo, with the blue shadow virus.”

“Stop talking or you won’t get dinner.”

Ahsoka smiled at the casual banter, feeling happy for the first time in a while. Ameel also had a goofy grin on her face while trying to focus on the vegetables. 

Ahsoka wanted badly to participate in the playful squabble, but knew she couldn’t. She had a cover to keep. So she bit her tongue and played her part. The oven went off and she walked over to it, and opened it. She was greeted with a warm gust and the smell of meat.

She grabbed the pan with both hands, but quickly pulled back when it burned her hands. She let out a yelp of pain, and then heard Anakin’s laughter. 

She slowly turned around and met his gaze, frowning. Anakin’s smirk was suddenly wiped off his face and the togruta moved past the counter and lunged for him. He darted down the hallway towards the sitting and dining room, and Ahsoka followed behind him. 

Ameel was left with the vegetables, a little stunned and she heard the muffled sounds coming from down the hall. The senator turned to her and smiled. 

“They’re friends, like Anakin and I. I believe they met when Ahsoka’s parents were attacked by pirates,” Padmé explained. 

Ameel nodded and looked down at her feet. She couldn’t help but be a little jealous of Ahsoka. She saw the galaxy, she was friends with Jedi, she was smart and talented. “I assumed so.”

The two came back down the hall. Ahsoka looked satisfied, and Anakin was rubbing a spot on his arm.

Anakin looked at her. “I’m going to get you back,” he hissed. 

Ahsoka smirked and walked back into the kitchen where Padmé was starting to assemble the dinner.

“Do you need some burn cream or bacta?” Padmé asked lovingly.

Ahsoka shook her head. “I’m good. It wasn’t bad.” She glanced at her palm, where a large blister was starting to form, and squeezed it tightly. She grimaced in pain for a moment, but then relaxed. 

Padmé frowned a little bit. Jedi weren’t really ones to accept help. “Can you two help me take dinner into the kitchen?”

Ameel instantly interjected. “I can help, too.”

Padmé forgot the other girl was here. Usually, the two Jedi would suffice. They could levitate the plates towards the kitchen, or place them methodically on top of their heads. But someone else was here, so Ahsoka’s ability to use the force was obsolete. 

“Thank you,” Padmé responded. 

Anakin grabbed three plates, levitating one, and Ahsoka grabbed two. Ameel grabbed the vegetables and some seasoning, and Padmé grabbed the basket of rolls. The four of them made their way towards the dining table.

Ahsoka took her usual seat, and Ameel sat next to her. Anakin was across from his padawan, and the two diplomats were seated across from each other. Without hesitation, Anakin and Ahsoka started piling food onto their plates. Ameel and Padmé carefully set a napkin on their laps. 

Ahsoka realized she probably should act a little bit more like Padmé, and decided to place her napkin on her lap. She’d never done it before and it felt stupid, but anything for the mission. 

Ameel and Padmé started talking about something Ahsoka didn’t care about much, so she finished her plate and then grabbed a second helping. She wanted to talk to Anakin about something, because they were both sitting silent, but didn’t want to blow her cover. The things they usually did talk about had to do with the war or order. 

“So, how has school been,” Anakin awkwardly asked. 

Ahsoka shrugged. “Good. How was your last mission.” 

“Good. Although Senator Taa was giving me a headache the entire time.”

Ahsoka grimaced. It was a joke between the Jedi that Senator Taa was the last Senator you wanted to protect. He was very rude, gluttonous, and demanding. And she’d heard rumors that he had a particular stench. 

Ahsoka leaned in towards him a little bit, and started to whisper. “Did he actually smell as bad as everyone says.” 

“Worse,” Anakin said, grimacing a little bit. “Next time you don’t listen to me, instead of archive duty I’m going to convince the council to send you on a diplomatic mission with him.”

Ahsoka groaned. “I didn’t think it was possible to make a diplomatic mission even worse.” 

Anakin opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by Padmé. 

Padmé raised an eyebrow and glared at Ahsoka. “Ameel just told me that Ahsoka has a boyfriend. Isn’t that nice?”

Ahsoka started to blush, and her eyes darted around the room. She tried to avoid Anakin’s gaze, but he used their bond to make her subconsciously turn towards him. He was glaring. 

“Oh does she now?” He said. “How long have you guys been together?”

Ameel didn’t hesitate, much to Ahsoka’s dismay. “Five weeks? Six? I don’t know, pretty recently after you started school.” 

Both of the adults narrowed their eyes at Ahsoka, and Ahsoka took a bite of salad. Everyone watched as the togruta ate the vegetables, which were known to make them sick. Ahsoka swallowed the food and looked at everyone. 

“I accidentally just ate something I shouldn’t have. I’m going to excuse myself to use the refresher and throw it up,” she said politely, then quietly dismissed herself. 

She walked down the hallway towards the ‘fresher and immediately knelt down next to the toilet and started to throw up. She almost regretted the decision to eat a mouthful of greens, but decided she’d rather do that than face Anakin’s wrath. 

Not that she wasn’t going to eventually face it. She was just putting it off. Suddenly, she sensed his force signature behind her. Scratch that, she regretted eating the greens because she was going to have to face Anakin sooner rather than later. 

“So, when were you planning on telling me about your secret boyfriend?”

Ahsoka rolled her eyes, starting to feel a bit better now that she had thrown up her dinner. “He’s not actually my boyfriend. I’m still a Jedi.”

“Who is it?” Anakin asked shortly. 

“The Rylith kid.”

Anakin snorted. “Of course.” He paused for a moment, and Ahsoka thought she might have gotten off easy. She didn’t. “Why Ahsoka? Why? You know this is a bad idea. Remember Lux Bonteri?”

“We don’t talk about Lux Bonteri.” She waved her arm a little bit and relaxed. “Besides, I’m not attached to him or anything. It’s just some extra cover. No one would think I’m a Jedi if I’m in a relationship.”

Anakin buried his forehead in his hand. “What idiot decided to give me a teenage girl to take care of?” He paused for a moment. “I know! Obi-Wan. And when we get home, he’s going to help me deal with this.”

“Master, please. I promise it will be fine.” She sighed. “Just don’t tell Master Obi-Wan.”

Anakin frowned. “Fine. But if he tries anything, he answers to me.” He turned around and left the ‘fresher. 

“Carpool dad,” Ahsoka whispered. 

“I heard that!”

Ahsoka rolled her eyes and quickly washed her face. She walked down the hall and returned to dinner. 

“Are you okay ‘Soka?” Ameel asked immediately. 

Ahsoka waved her hand. “I’m fine. That happens a lot.”

She sat down and continued to eat her dinner, enduring side-eyed glares from Anakin and a few from Padmé. Ameel quickly asked Anakin about some battle tactics, and dinner seemed to be over. 

“I better be getting home soon,” Ameel sighed, folding her napkin and placing it on the table. “Thank you so much for dinner!”

Padmé took a sip of her water, then looked at Ameel. “Do you need a ride home? Anakin has his speeder parked at the balcony.”

Ameel shook her head. “I only live 20 or so floors down. I can take the elevator.” 

Everyone said goodbye to Ameel, and she disappeared into the elevator. 

***

“Where were you,” Ameel’s father hissed. 

The elevator shut, and Ameel flinched. “I was studying and had dinner with a friend from school at Senator Amidala’s apartment,” she said quietly, trying to find a way to get to her room quickly. 

He scoffed. “Senator Amidala. Who else?”

“My friend Ahsoka and a Jedi.” 

“Jedi scum. Senator scum. We aren’t going to need any of them when we join the Separatists.”

Ameel forced a smile. That was the last thing she wanted. She believed in the Republic, the Jedi, and everything they stood for. But she couldn’t tell her father that otherwise he might do something horrible to her.

The girl tried to stop her hands from shaking as she walked over to a closet and placed her school bag inside. “Is Mom away?”

Her father took a step toward the balcony. “Yes. And while she’s away we’ve got lots of planning.” 

Ameel shook her head, trying not to shake. She slowly turned around and avoided eye contact with him. “What’s the plan?” She whispered, trying to appease him. 

“The plan is to get your mother out of the way. Whatever it takes.” 

Ameel felt sick. She knew her father had ill intentions, but didn’t think he would do whatever it truly took. “I have some homework. May I be excused?”

He nodded. “If you don’t get a good mark on that test, you’ll be in big trouble.”

Ameel swallowed and scurried off to her room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we’re actually getting to the sorry haha. Kudos and comments appreciated! Come talk to me on tumblr @kitfangirls


	10. Bugs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin bugs Ameel’s bag and find out about the conspiracy, but things don’t go exactly as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter has taken forever! School started and got crazy, but I’m hoping to post more regularly now.

“We need to arrest Mr.Farrow. I don’t understand the problem,” Anakin sighed for the millionth time. 

The master-padawan pair was sitting in the mostly empty mess hall. There were the small echos of silverware on plates from a group of young padawans. The little ones kept sneaking glances towards the famed Hero With No Fear.

Ahsoka and Anakin weren’t eating anything. It was late, and they had both eaten at the senators. 

Ahsoka applied some pressure to the back of a fork and watched at it flew in the air and flipped, landing a few inches away from where it originally started. “I wouldn’t worry about it. They have to arrest him. You bugged the bag and have evidence.”

Anakin grunted in response. “Let’s just hope the council makes a decision so we don’t have to sit in here doing nothing for much longer.”

They sat in silence while Ahsoka played with her fork and her master readjusted the straps on his glove four times. Exactly four times.

It was too late. Easily past midnight at this point. Anakin placed a listening device that notified them when keywords were spoken. It didn’t take long before they listened to the conversation and discovered the nefarious plot. Within minutes, an emergency council meeting was called. 

It had shocked everyone to learn that Ameel’s father was the one behind the conspiracy, but Ahsoka was too tired to join them. She accepted it quickly, and decided to wait for the council to decide how to proceed further.

Finally, Anakin’s communicator device went off. The two quickly leapt up, not bothering to pick up their trays. The droids could do it. The pair raced down the empty hallways, hurrying to the council chamber. They finally reached the lift, and both got on. 

The ride up was short, and the doors opened up to the small waiting room. Ahsoka glanced at Anakin as he headed straight for the council room. 

She was as excited as he was. Maybe tonight this mission would end. Tomorrow Ahsoka could head back to the outer rim. Everything would go back to normal. But something in the back of her mind told her tonight wouldn’t be her last night as a stuck up schoolgirl. Something told her she needed to stay. 

They stood in the center of the circle as the council members looked them over quickly. 

Master Windu didn’t hesitate, and gave the two the news. “We’ve decided to hold out on arresting Mr.Farrow and his daughter. The recording we have isn’t enough to spark an investigation, and we feel the senate wouldn’t take appropriate action. If we keep Ahsoka undercover for longer, we might find further evidence that would aid in a quick arrest.”

Anakin started to sputter. “What if the Separatists attack Senator Farrow? Or they come for her daughter.”

Windu raised his voice a little bit, annoyed by the knight's sudden outburst. “The chancellor has decided to give Senator Farrow extra protection, and Ahsoka is there to protect Ms.Farrow.” 

Anakin glared at him for a moment, and Ahsoka awkwardly stood to the side. There was a period of silence, before Master Yoda quickly dismissed them. Ahsoka quickly bowed, and followed Anakin out the door. 

When they finally reached the elevator, her master exploded. “Can you believe they aren’t arresting him? Why more evidence do they need!”

Ahsoka bit her lip and shrugged. She honestly didn’t know how to feel. Her master was right. Every second Mr. Farrow was free was a second that he could hurt someone. But, the council was right. A short recording wasn’t enough to have someone quickly convicted. 

Anakin ranted for a few more moments as they walked down the hallway, and Ahsoka drowned him out. He was easy to drown out during his rants about the council being unfair. She nodded every once and a while, and they finally reached their quarters.

Ahsoka fell into her bed, and fell asleep almost instantly. 

***

The teenager stood in the ‘fresher, tucking a sweater into a skirt with an utter lack of grace. She stumbled as her nails caught against the fabric, and then finally shoved it in. 

It was another day of going to school. Another day where Ahsoka would drown in the endless abyss of meaningless work and conversation. She let out a sigh and opened the door, where Anakin was waiting for her. 

“C’mon, let’s go,” he grumbled. 

He was still upset about the council meeting, and Ahsoka could tell he was itching to see Padmé. She was almost certain that’s what he did while she was away, but liked to pretend she didn’t know. It was a little game she loved to play. 

Ahsoka quickly grabbed her bag, and followed Anakin out the door. They silently walked through the halls until they reached the temple’s hangar, where Anakin’s speeder was parked. 

She gracefully leapt into the passenger seat, and Anakin started the engine. They pulled out and soared above the skies of Coruscant. Ahsoka let her gaze follow the same route they took to school everyday, and she let out a sigh. She wanted this mission to be over, despite how much she wanted to help her classmates. Everyday was the same as the one before and they blurred together. 

Life on the battlefield was nothing like that. It was hard, but exciting. Everyday was something new. A different challenge, different choices. Always on the move. 

They pulled up to the school. The courtyard, usually full of life, was empty. Ahsoka looked at the chrono on the speeder, and realized she was an hour late. She started to panic and her face went red, before Anakin rolled his eyes. 

“Relax Snips, I let you sleep in a little bit. We were up pretty late.” 

Ahsoka mumbled a quick thank you, then slid out of the car. Anakin quickly pulled away, and suddenly the togruta was alone. 

She stood on the curb for a moment. Her head throbbed for no apparent reason, and she just wanted to crawl back into her bed. Sure, she’d been in this situation a million times, but this time there was no adrenaline keeping her awake. 

She sighed, then turned towards the large main entrance. The doors opened automatically for her, and she entered the mostly empty main foyer. She quickly moved up the stairs and towards her second period class. She finally reached the door and tried to open it it as quietly as possible. 

Of course, it didn’t work out in her favor and the door made a loud creaking sound. Everyone in the class turned towards her. The teacher stopped talking and stared at her. Ahsoka scurried towards her desk next to Ameel, but didn’t escape humiliation that easily. 

“Ms.Tano, can you please explain why you interrupted my class?” The female teacher asked, tilting her head sternly. 

Ahsoka bit her lip. “I had an, uh, family emergency last night. I was up really late and my ma- mom let me sleep in. She told me she would call the attendance office,” she stammered. 

The lie came fairly easily, and the teacher glared at her one last time before returning to the lesson. Ahsoka let out a small sigh, and reached into her bag to pull out a datapad. 

Ameel gave her a sideways glance but continued to pay attention to the teacher. 

Ahsoka blankly stared at the front of the class until the class ended, and quickly stood up to walk towards the door. Before she could make it more than a few steps, Ameel stopped her. 

“Is everything alright?” She asked, her voice flooded with concern. 

Ahsoka shrugged, trying to buy time to think of a plausible lie. “Yeah,” she said unenthusiasticlly. 

Ameel shook her head. “Are you sure? You got sick last night and were late to school this morning.” 

“My parents ship was attacked by pirates last night, but the guards fought them off and the droids fixed the ship, so it ended up being fine,” Ahsoka quickly lied. 

Ameel looked satisfied. “I’m glad they’re okay.” 

Ahsoka nodded, and the two walked out of class. 

***  
“Where were you this morning?” 

Ahsoka took another bite of her sandwich and turned around to see Rylith.

“Home,” she muttered smugly. 

Rylith slid into the seat next to her. The table was mostly empty because everyone was still getting food. “I find that hard to believe.” 

Ahsoka sat down her sandwich and narrowed her eyes at him. “What I was doing last night and this morning is classified information.” 

He sighed and rolled his eyes. “C’mon ‘Soka.”

“Don’t call me that.” 

Rylith looked at her. “I can help. You can trust me.” 

“You actually can’t help,” she said sharply. “And how do I know if I can trust you?”

There was a long spell of silence. 

Rylith finally said something. “I know you’re watching Ameel. She’s one of my best friends. Please, just let me help.” 

Something inside Ahsoka flipped. The look in Rylith’s eyes was full of worry. Apart of her wanted to tell him that Ameel would be fine, but that would be a lie. And she didn’t want to lie more than she had to. 

She sighed, then glanced around to make sure no one would hear them. “Mr. Farrow is planning to assisinate the Senator. Ameel is involved, but I don’t think it’s willingly.”

Rylith stared at her blankly, then finally opened his mouth. “What? Why isn’t he in jail?”

“The Jedi Council decided it would be best to wait until there was more concrete evidence. And that they could ensure Ameel’s safety. I’m just doing what they tell me.”

The boy was about to say something, but Ameel and some of her friends were walking back to the table. They quickly returned to eating their food, and Rylith moved to get food from the cafeteria line. 

“Anakin Skywalker is easily the hottest Jedi. It isn’t up for debate” Wanta said matter of factly.

Ahsoka felt herself grimace, but tried not to show her disgust. She’d been in this situation before, and hated it every time. 

A girl with long auburn hair, whose name was Elia if Ahsoka remembered correctly, rolled her eyes. “Kit Fisto is gorgeous. You won’t convince me otherwise.”

Wanta rolled her eyes. “Elia, he’s a fish man.”

“An incredibly handsome fish man!”

Ameel finally interjected. “I think the hottest Jedi is young Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

Wanta glared at her. “Ameel, the Obi-Wan Kenobi you’re so in love with doesn’t exist anymore.”

Ameel shrugged. “Doesn’t mean I can’t dream about him.”

Elia turned towards Ahsoka, and the togruta was already dreading the words that were about to leave her mouth. “Ahsoka, who do you think the hottest Jedi is?”

Ahsoka bit her lip. “I don’t really have a preference.”

“How do you not have a preference,” Wanta exclaimed. “Jedi are like, the hottest creatures alive.”

Ahsoka shifted uncomfortably, not sure how to respond. Right before Wanta was about to say something else, the intercom cackled to life. 

Everyone glanced up at the ceiling, waiting to see what announcement was going to be made. 

“Ahsoka Tano and Ameel Farrow, please report to the office immediately.”

Everyone stared at the two girls, but Ameel and Ahsoka both looked panicked. Something had happened, and it was big enough that they were being asked to report to the office. 

The two girls quickly gathered their things and rushed towards the office. They didn’t say anything to each other, and Ameel didn’t question why Ahsoka was there. They were both too focused on getting to the office.

Finally, the two girls burst into the office. Ahsoka glanced around, and saw Barriss standing off to the side. She looked calm as always, and made eye contact with Ameel. 

Ameel must’ve gotten the message, possibly with a bit of provoking through the force, because she approached her. 

Barriss looked at the girl, and Ahsoka could sense the calming waves she was sending. “Ms. Farrow, there’s been an assisination attempt. The Coruscant Gaurd and Jedi Council are taking you into custody for your own safety.” She said with a well rehearsed rythym. 

Ameel’s face went pale, but she silently nodded and walked outside. 

Ahsoka took that as her cue to talk to Barriss, and walked up to her. “What do I need to do?” She asked quickly. 

“Your Master is outside.”

Ahsoka took the short response as a sign that there wasn’t much time to talk, so she quickly walked out the main doors. Barriss followed a few steps behind. The doors automatically opened, and she saw a line-up of military speeders, Ameel sitting in the back of one. She saw her master in the middle, and could sense his tenseness. 

Something very, very bad had happened.


	11. Interrogation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ameel learns Ahsoka's identity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the hiatus! I was going through some stuff, but hopefully I'm back. The last two chapters (gosh, can you believe that?) will hopefully be up by the end of the month. I've already started working on a new fic featuring Luke, Leia, Ahsoka, Anakin, and more (there's a hint on my tumblr.) I'll post the link to that as soon as I get chapter 1 up! Sorry for the speech heavy chapter, and I hope you like it!

Anakin gripped the wheel, knuckles white. He was upset and frustrated, which was obvious to even a non-force sensitive. It seemed fair that he was frustrated. He’s encouraged the council to arrest Mr.Farrow before anything bad happened, and they didn’t listen. Now, the Senator was in a hospital bed somewhere while doctors tried to patch up the gaping bullet wound in her kidney. To make the situation even worse, Mr.Farrow had gotten away, and the system in Katfari was on the brink of civil war. 

Hence why Ahsoka stayed silent, not wanting to light the spark that made her master inevitably explode. 

“All of this could’ve been avoided,” Anakin yelled into the void of buildings and speeders. “The council should’ve just listened to me.” 

Ahsoka started at her feet, not sure what to think. She wanted to side with the council, but she also understood her master. She’d been at odds with the council before, and it was not a pleasant situation. 

But the council, Anakin, or even the assassination wasn’t at the forefront of the teen’s mind. What she was truly dreading was having to interrogate Ameel. She didn’t think it would ever come to this. She thought that the mission would end and she would fade away, and never have to admit that she’d been lying. Lying for the sake of the Republic, yes, but lying nonetheless. 

The speeder slowed as they approached a small office building in the outskirts of the senate district. Ahsoka assumed that this was the building they were holding Ameel in, and she took a deep breath. 

Anakin finally parked next to a balcony 10 or 15 floors up, and the two stepped out without any of their usual flairs. Ahsoka felt too heavy to leap over the edge. 

Two 501st troopers stood outside the door, but Ahsoka couldn’t tell who they were. Their armor was relatively unscathed, so they must’ve been shinies. The troopers saluted them and stepped aside while Anakin pushed open the door. 

The floor must’ve been an old office lobby because there was an abandoned receptionist desk directly in front of them. More troopers were walking around the room, and a few civilian guard members were scattered among them. 

Anakin quickly led them back into a hallway, where there was a door with a large glass window. 

Ahsoka saw Ameel through it, but the other girl didn’t seem to see her. She looked exhausted, sitting in a chair while Master Kenobi leaned up against the wall. It must’ve been one-way glass. 

Anakin moved to open the door, but Ahsoka stopped him. “Wait,” she said quickly, holding her hand up. “Just give me a moment.”

Her master looked a little confused but watched as his apprentice stared blankly into the room. 

“You know it’s not her fault,” she muttered mindlessly. “It’s mine.” 

Anakin looked confused. “What do you mean?”

Ahsoka shook her head a little bit and pulled her gaze away from the door and towards her feet. “I should’ve seen it sooner. The bruises, the days where she wouldn’t eat much. When she practically begged to come over. How she got dragged into this mess. She didn’t deserve it.” 

Anakin pursed his lips for a moment, then moved closer to his padawan. “Ahsoka, you’ll learn that we can’t see the future. We can only observe the past and make decisions based on that. It’s not your fault that you couldn’t see what she was trying to hide.” 

Ahsoka wrapped her arms around herself and gave him a weak nod. “I’m ready.” 

Anakin glanced over at her one last time and opened the door. 

The pair walked in, and the two guards muttered a quick, ‘commander,’ and ‘General.’ Obi-Wan quickly nodded at them, his arms still folded as he leaned against the wall. 

Ahsoka met Ameel’s eyes. The girl looked scared and confused. Maybe a little shocked to see her here. It didn’t feel right to add something else to the poor girl’s load, but what had to be done was to be done. 

The master-padawan duo stood directly in front of the girl, and there was a moment of silence. Anakin glanced over at his padawan, and she realized he wanted her to take the lead. She took a deep breath. 

“Ameel, I know this might be confusing for you, but we just want to help,” Ahsoka said softly. 

Ameel shifted her body so she could look at her better. “Ahsoka, what’s going on?”

Ahsoka sighed. “Ameel, I’m not the daughter of two banking clan negotiators. I’m a Jedi Padawan, training under Master Skywalker. The Jedi Council assigned me to see if anything suspicious was going on concerning Katfari.”

Ameel gave her a blank look, and the whole room went silent. Suddenly, Ameel opened her mouth. “What? That doesn’t even make sense.” 

No one said anything. Ahsoka didn’t want to respond. As much as she hated to admit it, Ameel was her friend. And this felt like letting her down. 

Thankfully, Master Kenobi interjected. “Ahsoka, it might help to continue with the interrogation questions.”

Ahsoka gave a mindless nod, and her grandmaster resumed his position. Leaning against the wall and observant as always. 

“Ameel, when did your father start plotting this and when were you involved,” Ahsoka said firmly. 

Ameel still looked a little confused but answered the question anyway. “Honestly, even before he married my mother. He’s a power-hungry monster, desperate to govern our system. He knew he would be able to establish himself politically by marrying her and working for the government. He never loved her. Everyone could see it except for her.” The girl paused for a moment and dropped into a softer tone. She sounded more like the little girl she truly was. “I didn’t even have the heart to tell her.” 

There was a pause. Ahsoka’s gaze was still fixated on the teen, while Anakin’s head was resting in his hand. Even with this small revelation, the story was starting to come together. 

“My father was never very kind. He used to hurt me when I didn’t do what he wanted.” 

The bruises. The trauma. The silence. How could Ahsoka not have noticed? It was her job to notice. 

“When the war began, he would tell me about how he would get our planet to join the separatists, and how we would prosper with my mother out of the way. He told me if I ever told anyone or didn’t help him, he’d send me away. Or worse.”

The girl paused. Her cheeks were red and her fingers didn’t stop moving. Her gaze was distant. She was looking past the door, at some distant thing in her imagination. All three of the Jedi could sense the weight of her emotions, a burden she shouldn’t have to carry. 

Master Kenobi finally spoke up. “I believe we only have one more question. Do you know where your father would have run off to?”

Ameel’s eyes flicked upwards and towards the Jedi Master. “General Grievous's ship, and eventually the trade federation. Although, the plan might’ve changed without me there.” 

Obi-Wan nodded slowly. “I believe that’s all we need.”

He started to walk away, Anakin following close behind. Neither of them gave a second glance to Ameel, but the togruta couldn’t leave her. Not like this. 

“Wait,” she called out.

Both of the Jedi stopped for a moment, slightly turning their heads back towards the padawan. 

“What’s going to happen to her?”

Obi-Wan sighed. “She’ll have to stay here for the night until the Chancellor and Council can agree on what to do.”

Ahsoka bit her bottom lip and crossed her arms. She paused for a moment, trying to think. She couldn’t leave her alone. Alone in this dark room with her only company being the troopers at the door. Ahsoka would’ve been fine, but Ahsoka was also trained to be okay in any situation. 

“I’m staying with her.” 

Anakin lifted an eyebrow, waiting for his padawan to explain herself. 

“I can’t leave her alone. She’s my friend,” Ahsoka said, her voice a borderline plea.

Anakin sighed and quickly rubbed his forehead. “Okay, but I might stop by later to make sure you are alright.” 

Ahsoka nodded. 

“Lightsabers?”

Ahsoka quickly pulled them out of her bag, proving to her master that she still had her protection. He sighed one last time, then left. The door shut. Ahsoka waved the guards out. The two girls were alone. 

There was an awkward moment of silence. Ahsoka stood in front of Ameel, who still sat at the chair in the center of the room. She bit her lip, then glanced around the room. It was barren, the only thing being the chair in the center. The window near the back of the concrete room backed up to another building, so no light was let in by the setting Coruscant sun. It was sad. 

“I’m going to grab us some cots and food. I’ll be back in just a minute.”

Ahsoka scurried out of the room, not even acknowledging the guards at the door like she normally would. Once she shut the door behind her and stood in the narrow hallway, she took a deep breath. Why was this so hard? She had dealt with anything and everything. She’d been trapped under rubble, led squadrons of fighter jets. She’d been hunted before, but this was different. None of her training told her how to react to this. She just tried to remember the principles of the force. Compassion, but not attachment.

She walked down the hallway towards the open area that led out to the balcony. This building was obviously the headquarters of the investigation into the assassination. Clones meandered around, a combination of troops from the 501st and Coruscant Guard. A few Republic Investigators were also thrown into the mix. She spotted Commander Fox in the mix and walked towards the table he sat at with a few of his high ranking troops. Before she could approach him, she felt a hand on her shoulder and spun around. 

It was Rex.

“What are you still doing here? You should get some sleep,” He said with some concern.

Ahsoka sighed. “I’m staying here with Ameel. And I’m fine, I promise.” She smiled, trying to show that the lack of sleep and her friend weren’t as draining as they were. “I’m just grabbing some cots and food, and maybe her school bag.”

Rex gave her a look. “The senator’s daughter?”

Ahsoka nodded. 

He sighed but didn’t look very surprised. “C’mon, let me help you.”

Ahsoka smiled, graciously accepting his offer. The two walked into an adjacent hallway and found the storage room. There was a small bin of inflatable cots and a few meal packs. Rex grabbed a cot while Ahsoka started digging through the box trying to find the best ones. She found the roasted nerf ones near the bottom and scooped up a large handful. She turned back to Rex, and he frowned. 

“So you took all the best ones?”

Ahsoka smiled, and smugly ripped off the top of the packet, and popped a few of the thick, crunchy sheets into her mouth. “You know what, I think these taste a little better on the battlefield.”

“Commander, everything tastes better when it might be your last meal.”

Ahsoka gave a small smile, trying to move past the implications of the small phrase. “I’m going to ask Fox where her bag is. I doubt she’d want to fall behind on school.”

Rex snorted. “There is a girl in a Republic interrogation room whose mother just got shot, and you think she’s worried about school?”

“I know she’s worried about school. Trust me.”

Rex rolled his eyes. “I guess I’ll drop these off in front of the door.” He paused for a moment like there was something more he wanted to say. He settled on a shrug. “Let me know if you need anything, Commander.”

Ahsoka smiled. Rex was one of her most loyal troops, and she would always thank him for that. “You should get some rest.”

“Are you kidding?” Rex laughed. “This is the closest I’ve been to anything interesting in weeks.”

Ahsoka smiled, and the two moved separate ways. Rex, back towards the hallway, and Ahsoka towards Commander Fox.

Fox was sitting at a table, leaning over a holo with a few of his men surrounding him. As Ahsoka moved closer, she saw it was a map of the galaxy. There were markings where Trade Federation and Separatist ships had been spotted or suspected, and some notes off to the side. She caught a few sentences of their conversation and figured they were trying to track down Mr. Farrow. 

Right. Mr. Farrow was still the main target of this investigation, and Ameel was just a piece of his puzzle. In reality, they were all a piece of this tragic war, and Ameel had gotten caught up like everyone else. 

She quietly approached Fox, using the force to nudge him a bit. He turned towards her. “Commander,” he muttered respectfully, obviously still distracted. 

Ahsoka smiled. “Commander Fox. I was wondering if you know where Ameel Farrow’s school bag is. I’m hoping it could distract her.”

Fox sighed. “It’s in the room next to hers with some other evidence. Are you sure it’s a good idea to give that to her? With all due respect, she is still a suspect.”

“It’s fine. She won’t hurt anyone,” she responded with confidence. Ahsoka was confident in that. She knew Ameel wasn’t lying and wanted to help her however she could. 

Fox nodded, and she turned back down the hall. She passed a few clones until she came to the room next to Ameel’s. There were a few cots outside of it, and Ahsoka smiled. Rex always came through on his promises. She opened the door and walked into the room. 

It had the same layout as Ameel’s room. Square, concrete, and cold. There were metal tables with items on top of them, and one of the shinies was logging them into a datapad. She nodded to him, and he looked like he was about to speak up as she slipped the bag off the table and onto her shoulder. Then he closed his mouth and continued to log the different pieces of evidence. “I already logged that one, don’t worry,” he mumbled. 

Ahsoka smiled a little bit. She didn’t know the troopers name, but she knew he was going to fit in just fine. 

She swung the bag over her shoulder and balanced the ration packs in one hand. She left the room and with a swift motion grabbed the inflata-cots from the floor. She tried to focus herself for a moment, then entered Ameel’s room.

She was in the same position as before, sitting on the chair in the center. She looked perfect as ever, hair plaited back and skirt stiff and ironed. Her eyes were tired, though. Red around the edges and dark underneath. Anakin had similar eyes, while Ahsoka benefited from her orange togruta skin. The wear of life was never too apparent. 

She forced a smile. “I got us some food, cots, and I was able to pick up your bag.” There was an awkward pause. “You know, if you want to catch up on school.”

Ameel gave a fake senator smile, one Ahsoka had experienced too much. “Thank you.”

“The rations are roasted nerf flavored too, which is the best kind.”

Ameel just nodded, and accepted the two ration packs Ahsoka handed her. 

The togruta awkwardly sat on the concrete floor, ripping open a second ration packet and tossing another thick chunk into her mouth. She closed her eyes and dramatically savored it for a moment. The flavors filled her mouth, and the fake energy sheets replicated the nerf flavor so well. She opened her eyes, and saw Ameel was grimacing.

“How do you eat this?”  
Ahsoka frowned. “You just put in it your mouth and chew.”

“No,” Ameel said shaking her head. “The texture, its wrong. It tastes synthetic, too.”

“Not everyone has the luxury of eating like a queen all of the time,” Ahsoka responded, rolling her eyes.

Ameel’s eyes fell downward. “Right,” she whispered. “You’re a Jedi.”

There was silence as Ahsoka tried to figure out the implication of her words. “Ameel…”

“Ahsoka,” Ameel cut in. “It’s fine, I understand it was your duty. I would do the same.”

Ahsoka let out a sigh of relief, but Ameel continued. 

“I just really thought I found a friend. Someone who I could count on, who could help me out a little bit when I needed it. I guess it was too good to be true.”

The guilt set in. Ahsoka felt her heart sink. “Ameel, I care about you. I want to help you. I really am your friend, I promise. That’s why I’m staying with you.” 

“But after this is all over, you’re going to disappear. Because Jedi don’t have attachments,” Ameel bluntly countered. 

Ahsoka examined her face. It was blank and emotionless. Her eyes were void of all thought and feeling. They almost looked numb. They looked like her own glazed over eyes after a brutal battle, when hundreds of her men were killed. Her eyes when crusiers were blown out of the sky, and every living thing inside ceased to exist. Ameel’s battle was different than Ahsoka, but a battle with the same cost. The same toll. 

Except Ameel was right. She was the only person the girl had to lean on, and she was going to disappear. She would probably never see Ameel again. Ahsoka had people behind her, supporting her every step of the way. Her master, Master Kenobi, Master Plo, the Jedi, the entire kriffing Republic if it came down to it. 

But Ameel was alone. And Ahsoka was responsible for that. 

“Ameel,” Ahsoka pleaded. “I would stay if I could.”

Ameel shook her head and unfurled the inflata-cot. It was already starting the expand. She slipped under the built in blanket and turned towards the wall, away from Ahsoka. “It doesn’t really make a difference though, does it?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments appreciated! Come chat with me on tumblr @kitfangirls.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and Comments are appreciated! If you want to chat or something, my tumblr is kitfangirls.


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